Rules of Life and Death
by dksculder
Summary: Mulder is presented with a list of conditions he must fulfill to receive an inheritance. Can Scully help him accomplish all of the tasks?
1. The Stranger

"Mulder, do you understand the terms of this inheritance?" Scott Lewis asked firmly. Fox Mulder nodded slightly, pursing his lips, absorbing the information he was being told.

"Why me?" The question was irrelevant, he knew the answer.

Growing up, Mulder felt ostracized, especially after the disappearance of his sister, Samantha. The whispers through the small town, the judging stares, he didn't have many friends. Part of that was his own doing, not wanting to deal with the questions and the speculation. He was a typical, brooding teenager, just getting by the best he could. There was a neighbor, an elderly woman who lived alone, who caught him on his way home from school one day. She asked for assistance bringing several bags into her house, insisting he stay for dinner. They both were lonely, simply enjoying the company of each other. Eventually, she felt like the only family he really had. The feeling was mutual, according to where he presently sat. Rosie was leaving everything to him, but there were conditions. He should have known.

"You were the only one listed in her will. She was widowed, no children. I'm sure you don't need me to explain that to you." Scott said. Mulder knew him from high school, making this feel slightly more comfortable than the situation was.

"So, I just have to follow whatever terms she laid out, and the inheritance is mine?"

"Yes. There are 10 requirement for you to fulfill, you will need to report back with some form of evidence of each. You are to only receive one at a time, once you finish that one, I'll give you the next one. Her rules, not mine." Scott said as he began to sift through the stack of papers.

"What happens if I refuse the inheritance? What happens to her belongings then?" There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't object to this, but he genuinely didn't want her money. If anything, he would only accept because it's what she wanted.

"We would arrange for an estate sale, the bank would make an offer, along with the savings. You are to donate it to a charity of your choice."

"So, it's still essentially my money."

"Yes. I suggest you see what her first request is, and go from there. You can reject the inheritance at any time, so maybe just see what the old broad has set out for you." Scott said lightly. Mulder huffed out a small laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." He scoffed, nodding in a silent acceptance. Scott smirked at him, handing over the first small envelope.

"Have fun. Let me know if you're dropping out of the game, or bring me proof that the request has been done. I'll see you soon."

Mulder held the envelope in his hand, almost afraid to open it. Rosie lived in a world of hope and imagination. She was a hopeless romantic, and constantly urged him to live his life to the fullest. There were several occasions where she somehow finagled him a date on their weekly trip to the grocery store. She pushed him, to be the person she knew was inside, hiding behind his exterior persona. If he were to admit, he wouldn't have participated in nearly any of the school events that Rosie pushed him to go to. He agreed, to please her, because somehow her disappointment would devastate him the most.

He had a morning briefing, a new case in which he was brought in to profile. Spooky Mulder, reporting for duty to catch some sick bastard preying on innocent teenage girls. He exhaled deeply, hating these profiles. They messed with his mind, exhausted him in every way. The first card would have to wait.

The other agents began to gather in the conference room, the indistinct chatter amplifying his mind's curiosity. He pulled the small envelope from his pocket, running his hand over the familiar handwriting on the outside. _One_. Just three letters in that familiar script, causing him to miss her already. There was a letter wrapped around the first task, causing him to take a deep breath before reading.

 _Fox,_

 _I don't want you to feel saddened by this letter, though if you're reading it, I fear it's too late for that. All I wish for you is that you open your heart to love. Allow yourself to be loved the way I know you desire. You know my story, and how much faith I have in the power of dedication and endearment. I can feel you rolling your eyes at my foolishness, but these are my last wishes for you. I only hope that you take them lightheartedly, and enjoy yourself along the way._

 _I already miss you dearly, my sweet boy._

 _Rosie_

He re-read the letter, already imprinting her parting words in his mind, causing the smile to touch his lips. He tucked the letter in his inside jacket pocket, reading the small card folded up inside of it.

'Open your eyes. Get to know the next lovely stranger who catches your attention.'

He huffed a small laugh, Rosie playing matchmaker for him beyond the grave seemed like the most normal thing in his life. He scanned the room, seeing nothing but stiffs in suits, definitely lacking the lovely aspect he was supposed to be looking for. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing he couldn't cheat the rules, because if it was in true Rosie fashion, this stranger would play more of a role in his life down the line.

"Is anyone sitting here?" A small voice came from beside him, breaking him from his reverie.

"No, but sitting next to me might ruin your reputation." He said teasingly before fully turning his attention to the source of the sound. He paused, seeing her bright blue eyes staring back at him, into his soul. She smiled at him coyly, the tranced look on his face almost amusing.

"That's okay, I'm new, so I don't really have a reputation to ruin just yet." She said warmly, biting the inside of her cheek to mask the chuckle of amusement.

"Oh, uh, I'm -" He cleared his throat, composing himself. "Special Agent Fox Mulder."

"Dr. Dana Scully. I'm the Lead Pathologist on the case." Now he was hooked. Instantly captivated by her subtle beauty, adding her mind to the list of things he wanted to explore more about her.

"Welcome." He said with a smirk touching his lips. She bowed her head, color tinging her cheeks by the looks he was giving her.

They sat through the briefing, gathering as much information as they needed to help them in their areas of expertise. The Special Agent in Charge dismissed them to their fields, Mulder following behind the tiny redhead like a puppy.

"So, how are you enjoying your first day here so far?"

"Well considering I haven't even made it down the morgue yet, to be determined." She said distractedly as she glanced through the files.

"First field case?"

"Yes, actually. I've been instructing at Quantico for my first two years with the bureau. I'm looking forward to working with the team." She said with a small smile.

"Mind if I come along for your autopsy of the latest victim? It usually helps with my profile, but I've lost privileges in the morgue with Peterson." He winced at the memory of working with the dinosaur of a doctor. They didn't exactly meet eye to eye.

"Do I even want to know how you managed that?" She asked with a chuckle. He reveled in the sound, only wanting to find more ways to make her laugh.

"Stick with me for the rest of the day, you'll figure it out." He said with a goofy grin as they stepped into the elevator.

She prepped for her autopsy, Mulder milling around, playing with any instrument he can get his hands on. He knocked over a small tray, causing Scully to stop her movements. Her eyebrow arching to high lengths, him smiling sheepishly at her.

"I'm starting to see how you lost your privileges."

"Sorry, Doc. Find anything?" He asked as he walked over to step beside her.

"Maybe. There's ligature marks on her neck, consistent with the other presumed victims. Were there any signs of sexual assault on the other victims?"

"Only on the first. This is the 4th victim, so there's no distinct pattern." The exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

"Are there any similarities between this victim and the first?"

"Physically, no. All of them have the same general appearance, which is how we originally made the profile. He's remained in a small area, so hopefully this will be the last victim that appears on your table." His voice distant, staring down at this 16-year-old girl with brown curls and once freckled skin.

"I don't know if this makes a difference, but it appears that she was untouched before he raped her. There are tears consistent with one losing their virginity." She explained medically. His head shot up, mind whirling with new theories.

"Is there a way for you to find out if the other's were the same?"

"Sure, any tearing should be in the reports. I'll look them over, and do the examinations myself if I have to. Did you need anything else that you're specifically looking for?" She asked with a furrowed brow, seeing the wheels turning in his head.

"That should get me going for now. You may have just made the break in this case, Scully. I'll catch up with you later." He said, already running out of the morgue.

He had thrown himself into the profile, holing himself up in the downstairs abandoned office he discovered doing research into his sister's disappearance. It was his place for thinking, making the profiles he needed, undisturbed. Agents rarely stepped foot in the basement, so he had yet to be kicked out. The knock at the door broke him from his thoughts, looking up over his glasses at the person entering the room.

"You found me." He said surprised, as Scully cautiously made her way into the room. She took in her surroundings, glancing around at the cluttered office.

"Put my investigative skills to work." She said as she plopped into the chair across from his desk. "I asked Roger up at security where you might run off to."

"Remind me to stop bringing him a donut in the morning. I can't believe he sold me out." She smiled at his playfulness, never meeting someone quite so passionate, his dedication masked by dry humor.

"I will give him props, he stood his ground before I was able to charm him into revealing your location." She said as the small grin touched her lips.

"What'd it cost you?"

"He already predicted you'd be withholding his daily donut, so I am now the breakfast provider."

"He's a smart man." Mulder said offhandedly. She chuckled, him enjoying that sound again. "So why the eagerness to find me?"

"I looked over the results, only the other victim who was sexually assaulted was still a virgin prior to her attack. The second and third victim had already lost their virtue." She said distractedly, reading through the reports.

"Well, that helps my theory, and the rest of my profile."

"Care to share with the class?" The genuine interest to know what was running through his mind, shining through her tone of voice.

"This guy, he's twisted. I think he's in his early twenties, been with the same girl, possibly since high school. From what your autopsy results are showing, I'd say he was lied to, about her saving her virginity for him. Possibly a wedding night discovery, after a broken promise is uncovered."

"So you think he killed his newlywed wife, and is attacking virgins who resemble her, in the thought process that he thinks they're lying about their chastity?"

"No, I believe his wife is alive, and this is his way of releasing his anger. He's retaliating against her, in his own way. Hopefully this, with the region he seems to be staying in, should help us narrow down who this perp is. Eventually, his anger will be uncontrollable, and he might attack his own wife. Let's hope we get to him before that."

"Wow, so the whispers are true. You are insanely brilliant at this whole profiling thing."

"Ah, yes. Spooky Mulder at your service." She pursed her lips, masking the smirk touching the corners of her mouth. He caught her gaze, holding it for just a moment. That's all he needed, to see the sincerity in her soul.

"Well, considering it's later than I planned on staying here, I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow morning for the meeting." She said with a genuine smile. He nodded, watching as she left the dimly lit office.

The next day, their meeting had been postponed to the afternoon, giving Mulder time to stop at Scott's office, and report his first task, accomplished.

"Well that didn't take you long." Scott said with an amused look in his eyes, listening to all he knew about this new stranger.

"Given the task, it was relatively easy. I think, uh, I'm going to continue with them."

"I thought you might, here's the second one." Scott said with a sly grin.

"You might be enjoying this just a little too much." Mulder glared at Scott. He chuckled, kicking him out of his office.

He made his way to work, situating himself in the conference room, towards the back of the room. They were going over his profile, making him want to be as far away from the spotlight as possible. He opened the card, sighing as he read the words.

'Take that lovely stranger out on a date. Have fun, let her really know you.'

Leave it to Rosie to push him the exact same way she used to when he was the shy, somewhat nerdy teenager. He rolled his eyes, small smile curving on his lips.

"Secret admirer?" The small voice spoke from right behind him. He could feel her breath on his neck, sending other sensations through his body.

"I, uh, not exactly." He smiled sheepishly at her, knowing he was supposed to be asking out this exquisite woman, doubting that he would even give him a chance. He mentally scolded himself, not even asking if she was with someone, just assuming that she was lonely, like himself.

He opened his mouth to say something else, their attention being diverted to the front of the room. The SAC went over Mulder's profile, Scully glancing over at him subtly at the praise of his name. They were sending everything to their analyst team, hopefully narrowing down their search.

"I'll catch up with you later." She said with a smile. Everyone was dismissed, her making her way down to the morgue.

"Wait, uh, Scully. I was wondering if -" His voice cut off, anxiety washing over him. Suddenly, he was the awkward 16-year-old boy who Rosie forced to talk to the cute check-out girl. He put his hands in his pockets, teetering on his feet. "This may sound sudden, but I was wondering if you'd like to just grab coffee or lunch with me. Just, as friends, of course."

He let out the breath he was holding in, not quite meeting her eyes. She smiled at his nervousness, biting her lip to hold in her amusement.

"Sure, I'd love to." She said in a small voice. He shot up to meet her eyes, reading the truth in her response.

"I can come find you later, if you're not busy, maybe we can head to a late lunch."

"I'll see you later, Mulder. Try to keep yourself out of trouble until then?"

"I make no promises, Scully. You should really ask around, get to know my reputation a little better." He said teasingly, parting ways with a wink.

The rest of the morning passed by uneventfully for them, both anticipating their lunch date. He strolled into the morgue, startling her at his entrance.

"Jesus, you scared me." She hissed, lost in her own work. He chuckled as he walked towards her, looking over her shoulder at one of the corpses lying supine on her table.

"I hate working cases with young girls like this, it hits you harder." He said with a soft voice. She could see the pain in his eyes, knowing there was more of a story there.

"Yeah, I don't think it gets any easier, no matter how many autopsies I do. In med school, they teach you to care, but only on a surface level. Otherwise, there should be this clinical detachment from each patient. I suppose that's where I learned to be so...cold." She said as if the word was a hard pill to swallow.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. There were definitely many words he would use to describe her, but 'cold' was the furthest from any of the ones popping into his head. He could tell that there was a more personal meaning to the word for her, a story to tell.

"Scully, the fact that you even talk to me, should prove that you are anything but cold."

"Yeah, well, you should ask around, get to know my reputation." She teased lightly, throwing his words back at him. He chuckled, nodding his head, impressed.

"Touché. So..." He said carefully, dragging out his word.

"So..." She said, matching his tone.

"Would you care to join me for lunch? There's a cafe down the street, that I frequent more than I would like to admit."

"Sounds good. I'm going to change out of my scrubs, I'll meet you upstairs in the lobby?" He nodded in agreement, making his exit.

She licked her lips nervously, excited about her lunch date. Having just gotten out of a relationship, she wasn't looking for anything, relieved that he was making it casual. She met him upstairs, seeing him slightly pacing the front lobby. The man before her was definitely not the man she had heard whispers about. She was curious, when he mentioned something about his reputation, so she asked around discreetly. From the rumors, he had taken several dips in the secretarial pool, which was hard to believe, because this man was not exactly oozing with sexual confidence. He was sarcastic, firm belief in his work, but all of that was to mask the hidden insecurities inside of him. She was fascinated, ready to know him more.

"Ready to go?" The goofy grin still plastered on his face. This was new territory for him, he never really had to court the girl. Generally, they threw themselves at him, finding the shy, mysterious thing a challenge for them. He never really objected to it, filling many lonely nights with whatever girl found his non-approach intriguing that week.

"Mulder, how often do you come here, eating like that?" She asked pointedly, eyeing his burger. He smiled guiltily at her.

"I don't have an exact answer that'll probably satisfy you, so I'm just going to avoid the question."

"Fair enough. So how long have you been an agent?" She asked as she picked at her salad. His eyes gravitated towards her mouth as she chewed, seeing her tinged pink lips.

"I, uh, was recruited out of college. I went to Oxford, got my PhD in Psychology, thought it was the perfect opportunity to move back to the states." He said with a shrug, disregarding his many accomplishments with the bureau.

"You say it so nonchalantly, your credentials are impressive."

"Not as impressive as yours. Top of your class, in line to be some cardio prodigy. What happened there, why the change of career?" Her cheeks tinged with color, not sure how she felt about him looking into her file - flattered, nervous?

"I see someone's done their homework." She playfully glared at him. "I just felt this was where I could make more of a difference. I was fascinated when I did my rounds in pathology, and I'd rather do what I enjoy rather than feel stuck doing what was expected of me simply because I was good at it."

"I'm impressed, that's very noble of you."

"Thanks." She said in a small voice, bowing her head slightly.

They finished their lunch, enjoying each other's company. As they walked back to the Hoover building, Mulder's guilt began to get the better of him. He was having a nice time with her, but didn't want to start their friendship off on the wrong foot. If she found out somehow that he only even bothered to speak to her, or ask her to lunch, because he was obligated to complete a task to receive an inheritance, it might not go over very well. Though, if he were being honest to himself, he would have found a way to speak to her anyway.

"Uh, hey, Scully..." He said, stopping abruptly in their stride. She turned to face him, waiting for what he had to say. "I need to tell you something, and I don't want this to come off wrong or anything."

"Okay..." She said cautiously, crossing her arms in a protective stance.

"Long story short, I have to do these, tasks, to receive an inheritance from an old friend who recently passed. The first two assignments I had, were uh -"

"To find someone and ask her out on a date?" She said with the arch of her eyebrow, catching onto his implications.

"Yes, but I don't want you to think I'm using you. I'm not, I mean, technically I am, or that's how it started, but that's not how it is. I -" He began to stammer. He paused at her lack of response. Those soft, pink lips pursing together in thought. He could see her mulling over the idea, processing the newest revelations.

"Is, uh, that all you had to do, in regards to your list of requirements?" She asked in a small voice, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Yes, well, for now."

"For now?"

"There's 10 duties she has so graciously set out for me to finish. This, was only my second."

"So what was your first?" She was interested, it was definitely the craftiest pickup line she's ever heard.

"To get to know the first stranger that caught my eye. I happened to read it before you sat next to me in the first briefing." He said sheepishly.

"And to think, you could be enjoying a nice lunch with grumpy old Agent Reynolds." She teased, causing his eyes to shoot up and catch her gaze. She had a small, playful smile bestowed on her lips. He let out a sigh of relief, happy this didn't end in the disaster that he was anticipating.

"Y - You're not mad?"

"No, I don't feel like you're using me. I mean, it's definitely a new one, but I'm not offended. I'd like to think you're not going to just ditch me when you get your money." She said pointedly, glaring at him. He chuckled, reaching one hand to the back of his neck in thought.

"Gee, I don't know about that. I don't think that's a rule in my cards." She playfully swatted at him, causing a full grin to touch his lips.

"Now I'm mad. Come on, since you're the one with the money, now you can buy me an ice cream before we go back to work." She turned on her heels, walking towards the cart usually parked in front of their building. Grin remaining on his face, he knew this was going to be fun.

He had asked her to join him the next morning, to introduce her to Scott, providing proof that he was achieving the tasks. She agreed, and they met for breakfast before heading over to his office.

"Scott Lewis, it's a pleasure to meet you." He flashed her the charming smile he always saved for his newest conquests. In high school, he was the star athlete, handsome, the regular ladies man. He followed in his father's footsteps, only attending the best law school, doing what was expected of him. The complete opposite of Mulder, in every way.

"Dana Scully, it's nice to meet you as well." She said with a small smirk, definitely noticing his physical attributes.

"So you're Mulder's proof that he isn't just making this up as he goes along." Scott teased, glancing towards Mulder.

"Can I just get the next card? We, uh, need to get to work." He was slightly annoyed, not that they were actively flirting, or that he even had a reason to be jealous.

"Ah, so you're an agent as well? Definitely an interesting career for a woman."

"Yes, but I'm actually a Forensic Pathologist. Mulder and I are working on an active case together."

"Even more interesting, a career woman, I can respect that." He leered towards her. Mulder huffed, rolling his eyes. He's seen Scott play this game one too many times to believe anything that came out of his mouth. He only hoped that Scully was smart enough not to fall for it as well.

"The card?" He asked, annoyance rising.

"Right, right. Here is your third task, again, find some way to bring me proof when it's complete so I'll give you the next one."

"Great, thanks." He said as he stuffed it into his pocket. He gestured for them to leave, Scully sensing the change in mood from him, but couldn't decipher where it was coming from. She nodded, making her parting pleasantries with Scott, Mulder leading her out of the office with his hand on the small of her back. It was a simple gesture, no real meaning behind it, and neither flinched when it happened automatically.

"Everything okay, Mulder?" She asked cautiously as they rode to work. He nodded, popping a sunflower seed in his mouth.

"Yeah, everything's great. Did you -" His voice was cut off by the ringing of his phone.

"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, there's been another victim. We need you in right away." He sighed, hoping it wouldn't get to this. He went to open his mouth before Scully's phone rang, waiting for her to get the news herself.

"I didn't think there would be another victim so soon." She said in disbelief. "They said something is different with this victim."

"Different? Like what?"

"I don't know, they didn't say. They just said they'd finish the details at the briefing." He nodded, picking up speed back to the office.

When they arrived, they were both surprised to see the latest victim's pictures on the board. Mulder's mind immediately began to bounce around sporadically, Scully could see the wheels turning through his eyes.

"He's escalating." The breathy whisper causing Scully to turn her full attention to him. She leaned in close, her face lingering before his to have a side conversation while the other agents threw out their ideas.

"What are you thinking?"

"His anger - hatred for her, it's getting stronger. This victim is at least 10 years older than the others, probably closer in age to his wife."

"You think he's getting ready to attack her soon, his final victim." She said as more of a fact, rather than a question. He was more amazed with her by the minute, never meeting someone who can keep up with his wandering thoughts.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Agent Mulder, any new ideas on the profile?" The SAC called from the front of the room, causing them to realize how close they had been in each other's personal space, separating shyly.

"Uh, yeah, actually. He's escalating, I think he's getting ready to attack his wife. Do we know the victim's last whereabouts before she was reported missing?"

"She lived alone, but was supposed to meet a friend after a doctor's appointment. We've confirmed that she was at the clinic, but never made it to meet her friend."

"Have any of the other victims been reported at the clinic, or in relation to it?" His head popped up, theories whirling around.

"Not that we know of, but we can interview the families again, maybe friends who would know if they had any secret appointments at the clinic that they were keeping from their parents." The SAC said in agreement. He began to assign teams to send out in the field, Mulder staying behind to speak with some of the others about what to be asking them.

Scully made her way down to the morgue to do the autopsy, both leaving the third task tucked inside Mulder's jacket pocket, forgotten.

He made his way down to the morgue a few hours later, her just wrapping up the autopsy, wincing at the gruesome things done to this poor woman. She was so lost in her final examinations, back facing the main door, that she didn't hear him approach. He crept up behind her, leaning in so that he mouth was lingering just above her ear.

"Find anything interesting?"

"Jesus, Mulder. Stop doing that." She jumped, causing him to huff out a genuine laugh.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I thought you heard me coming, but you didn't even acknowledge my presence. I saw an opportunity, and I'm glad I took it." He said with a sly grin. She scoffed, shaking her head at him.

"The attack on this victim was definitely more intense than the previous. I don't know, it almost seems, personal."

"That's probably because to him, he felt like it was. Three of the other victims have been confirmed to have gone to the clinic within a week of their disappearance. We're planning to set a trap, catch him in the act. We have a full list of the employees at the clinic, so we've been able to narrow it down to a select few who could possibly match the profile."

"We're sending an agent in undercover?" She asked distractedly as she began to clean up her work. He flashed her a tightlipped smile, hands in his pockets, teetering on his feet. She knew the stance, and saw the look in his eyes. "No, there's no way. I don't even match the description of the victims."

"Well, other than the hair, you do. The blue eyes, the freckles, the...height."

"Somehow, I feel insulted." He chuckled, covering his mouth with the back of his hand to hide his smirk.

"We were thinking you could wear a wig, we'll set up an appointment for you in your cover name. You won't be out of our sight, and we'll be in your ear every step of the way."

"Nice deflection. When are we planning to put this assignment in effect?" She asked, licking her lips nervously. She crossed her arms, that was just her protective stance. He could sense her nervousness, stepping forward to cradle her elbow.

"Hey, I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'm going to be in the van parked right outside with the rest of the team. I know this is your first field case, and we're just throwing you in, but I have faith that you can do this."

"Thanks, I - I am ready." She said in a small voice, mentally preparing herself.

"Great, I'll let the team know. We'll probably set up a meeting before sending you in. We know he's escalating, so we want to get you in as soon as possible, considering he's most likely already targeting his next victim."

She nodded, exhaling deeply. He could see the ambition on her face, the worry in her eyes. He was amazed by her strength, in every aspect of the word. He began to part ways, letting her clean up and asking that she meet with the team upstairs in the conference room when she's done.

"Wait...distract me for a moment, what's on the third card?" She asked as the gleam began to shine back in her eyes. He smiled, nodding in concession. He pulled the card out, reading it to himself first.

'If I know you, your date was simple. Take her on a real date, and if you really like her, make sure it's at my favorite restaurant. Ask Scott for the details of this if you decide the latter.'

His eyes went slightly wide, not knowing how he felt about the last sentiment. Considering Rosie's favorite restaurant was a dimly lit, intimate french cafe that sat right on the water in Martha's Vineyard. That would cause for him to take her, overnight, and he felt that was too soon. He smiled sheepishly, a sly smirk creeping over his lips.

"I'll tell you...after this case is over."

"Seriously? You're going to make me wonder that long?"

"Well, if you do your job right, you could know by tomorrow night." He teased at her. She shot him a glare, eyebrow arching.

"I'll see you upstairs." He said with a small chuckle at her response.

He needed time to think about the card. Technically, he didn't need to whisk her away for some forced romantic weekend, but he knew that's what Rosie was hoping for. She had become a good friend, at least in his eyes, considering she's the only one who has given him the time of day. Perhaps it was because she's only been around him for less than a week, but something in his gut told him that she was going to be sticking around for a while longer.


	2. The Date

The day of Scully's undercover operation had approached, everyone's nerves were on high alert. They had to wait a few days, risking that he hadn't already set his eyes on a new target. The team was getting their equipment ready, Scully getting dressed in her disguise. When she entered the conference room, Mulder's smirk grew, seeing her in regular clothes, and her brown wig.

"Not a word." She said as she glared at him. He huffed out a small chuckle, biting back the laugh building inside of him.

"Ah, come on Scully, you look cute." He teased. She rolled her eyes at him, leaving to speak with the SAC about the plan.

The entire team made the trek across town, Scully driving in her own bureau borrowed car, the others taking a different route in the surveillance van. She parked her car, maintaining her cover and entering the clinic for her appointment. They had tapped into the cameras inside the building, monitoring her every step.

"Agent Scully, tuck your hair behind your ear if you can hear us." The SAC said, waiting for her response. She paused, before reaching her hand up to the side of her face, sweeping a stray lock behind her right ear.

There were only 4 employees who matched their profile, making them their prime suspects. She was called back to a room, them only being able to follow her down the hall with the cameras. There was one other agent inside, posed as a volunteer, but they didn't want to trigger him, if there were too many unknown faces.

"Are any of the suspects on the clock today?" She whispered into her hidden mic, having the privacy of her own room.

"Only 2 of them. Someone's approaching your room, standby." She paused, taking a deep breath. Her stomach instantly began to turn at the sight of the person entering the room. He matched the description of their suspect perfectly, and was one of the 4 that they had profiled. She settled her nerves, attempting to maintain her cover.

"Hi, you're Katherine Harris?" He asked, entering the room with an unnerving grin.

"Uh, yeah, hi." She said in a hushed tone with a tightlipped smile.

"I'm Josh Turner. What's bringing you in today?" He asked as he slapped the gloves on his hands.

"Just a general checkup, mostly." She said carefully. She took mental notes, examining his overall appearance. Caucasian male, mid twenties, wedding band, and a smug grin that would make anyone uncomfortable. She knew her cover was working, the way his eye held a malicious gleam when he first glanced upon her.

"Any health concerns?"

"No, not really. I'm in med school, so maybe just exhaustion." She said with a shy smile. He nodded, beginning to run his fingers under her neck as he began his examination. Her skin began to crawl under his touch, hoping he didn't notice her slightly shiver in discomfort.

"Med school, that's ambitious. I got my nursing degree, but never could go all the way."

"Yeah, but I'm enjoying it. Don't get much time for myself, but it'll be worth it in the end."

"Other than the exhaustion, no other symptoms from the long hours?"

"He feels emasculated, that's why he does what he does. Try to veer towards that topic." Mulder whispered into her ear. She jumped slightly, not expecting the sudden interruption.

"Nope. Just typical stuff, I guess. I, uh, was wondering about birth control as well." She said in a cautious voice. His hands stopped, twitching slightly at the subject change.

"Are you sexually active?" The pure curiosity shining through his voice.

"No, not yet actually." She answered shyly, bowing her head to create the believability of her bashfulness.

"Really? I hope I'm not being too forward, but a gorgeous thing like yourself must have guys falling at your feet." He leered at her, the uneasiness of everyone reaching new levels.

"Thanks. I, uh, was always focused on my studies, not much time for any extracurriculars." She said, clearing her throat.

"I guess I just find that hard to believe." He said with a slight bitterness in his voice. "Well, let me just finish up my examination and we'll get you on your way." He said quickly. She could see the shift in demeanor in his eyes, confirming their theories.

She was dismissed, thanking him for his time. The other agent had already left, so that they didn't leave together. She got in the car, backing out slowly, driving to one of the safe houses they had set up in the area. Sure enough, a car began following her, the surveillance van already making their way on a different path.

"Just keep going straight, and make a left up ahead. Pull into the gas station, we want to see if he stops as well." The SAC said into her earpiece.

"Am I getting out of the car?"

"Yes, but you're only going to go inside to buy a water, and then get back in your car."

She did as instructed, him stopping to park on a curb on the back side of the gas station. As she continued on her route, the van got held up a few blocks away due to construction. She began to slightly panic, since she had arrived at the building. She knew she was being watched, and didn't want to make it obvious that she was talking into her mic.

"Do I go inside?" She asked in a hushed, small voice.

"No, we're finally moving again. We'll be ther-"

"He's getting out of his car. He - he's walking towards me."

"Agent Scully, your gun and badge are in your glove box. We are on our way."

She watched him approach in the mirror, everyone's breath holding. Mulder's anxiousness rising, wishing he could do more. They were about a block away, unable to move in the narrow streets with all the traffic. He couldn't handle it, he blew open the back door, continuing on foot. He ignored the indistinct yelling of his name, not caring about anything else in this moment.

He was disconnected from contact with her, so he was going in blind. They didn't even know how either of them were parked, and there was no way for him to know the layout of the situation. He could hear another agent following behind him in his stupid plan of action.

"FBI freeze!" Was all he heard before the muffled scream. He picked up his pace, sprinting as if his own life depended on it. He turned the corner, and could see her on the floor, head moving slowly, disoriented. She had a nasty bruise on her cheek, and her gun was laying beside her. She regained enough consciousness to reach for her weapon, but he was just standing over her, grinning as if he was a wild animal looking down at his prey.

"Don't move, hands up!" Mulder yelled as he approached within shooting range. His weapon situated high in his hands, determination in his eyes. Josh's head shot up, anger clouding his face. He huffed out in fury, turning to run. He was met with the rest of the team finally deciding to join the party.

As they took him into custody, Mulder immediately ran over to Scully, helping her sit up. Instant guilt washed over him, it was his fault she was in this mess.

"Scully, are you okay?" He rubbed her back gently, letting her come back to her surroundings.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said in a small voice. She reached up and hissed when her fingers ran over the bruise on her cheekbone.

"Let's have the paramedics check you out."

"No, I'm fine. Really. It's just a bruise."

"Okay, then let me just get you home." He said sincerely. She nodded, head still cloudy from everything.

The ride to her apartment was quiet, both lost in their own thoughts. When he pulled up outside of her building, there was an unasked question hovering around them. She licked her lips nervously, bowing her head slightly before breaking the silence.

"Do you want to come in for coffee?"

"Sure, I'd love to." He said in a small voice, relieved that she had offered. He mostly wanted to make sure she got in okay, not fully believing she was as fine as she was saying.

"Make yourself comfortable." She said as she disappeared into the kitchen. He wandered slowly around her living room, taking in the small details that made everything about the decor so her. "You can sit, you know?" She said as she came back in to the room, biting back the small smirk on her face.

He smiled sheepishly at her, nodding as he moved to sit on the opposite end of her couch. She winced as she brought a frozen bag of vegetables to her face, finally feeling the effects of her eventful day.

"You're a doctor, and you don't have an ice pack?" He asked with amusement, trying to break the tiny ounce of tension in the room.

"My patients are usually dead." She said with a playful glare. He chuckled, finally relaxing in his surroundings.

"So...what happened?" He asked cautiously. She had been pulled aside to give her story, leaving him curious about how the events unfolded.

"I don't know, it all happened so fast." She said with a heavy sigh. "He was knocking incessantly on my window, asking me to step out of the car. I had already pulled my gun and badge from the glove box, waiting for him. I exited the car, and he was calm, it was unnerving, really. He glanced towards the side of my face, and I think part of my hair was coming out from my wig, because he just snapped. He began yelling that I was a liar, and I could see the anger building inside of him. That's when I stepped away, and called out my credentials. Before I could raise my gun, he backhanded me, and then I was on the ground."

"I'm just glad we caught him, and that you're okay."

"Do you know if he confessed, to any of the murders?"

"They're still interrogating him, I'm sure we'll find out more tomorrow. I, uh, should get going though. You should be resting." He said as he began to get up. She nodded, following him to the door.

"I really am glad you're safe. You should have never even been there, this was all my fault." He turned towards her, stammering.

"Mulder, stop. I'm fine."

"Sorry." He smiled sheepishly at her, realizing how closely they were standing. "I'll see you tomorrow, Scully."

"Hey, wait. What's on the third card?"

"Ah, right. We have another date, because apparently burgers don't count. I personally think she's setting too high of standards for myself, but she believes I can't completely mess this up."

"And where are we going on this proper date?"

"That...is to be determined. I'll let you know when I figure it out." He said with a wink as he made his way out of her apartment. She closed the door, smiling to herself. It wasn't a completely horrible day after all.

The next morning, they situated themselves in the conference room, having to listen to the other agents drone on about the conclusion of the case. Josh Turner finally broke after hours of interrogation, admitting to the multiple murders and attacks. Mulder was fidgeting in his seat, already completely bored with this meeting. When they were finally dismissed, Scully had disappeared, being pulled aside by another agent. He had reports to finish, and another case to follow up on, leaving him disappointed that he didn't have a moment to talk to her.

After several other meetings and a new case, Mulder's day flew by. He couldn't find Scully anywhere on the main level, and fled to the next place he suspected to find her. He smiled as he approached the morgue, seeing her in her scrubs, doing what she did best.

"What's up, Doc?" He said as he strolled into the room.

"Hey, busy day. I've been here pretty much since we left our meeting." She sighed, rolling her neck, welcoming the break.

"Yeah, I've had my nose buried in reports that I just love writing."

They both smiled, enjoying this newfound friendship. Other than a few flirtatious smirks, and suggestive notions, neither had made a move to imply that either wanted more than that. They were both being cautious, letting the other decide how this progressed.

"So what brings you down here?"

"I was coming to see if you were available this weekend, for, uh, our date." He said sheepishly. It was almost as if he choked on the last word, it only coming out in a whisper.

"I'm having lunch with my parents on Sunday, but other than that, I'm free."

Well, there goes his plan, not that he was fully sure he wanted to take her to the restaurant in Martha's Vineyard. His emotions were mixed, he loved the time they spent together, and didn't want to mess that up like he was always so destined to do. He had to do some research, think of a nice place to take her, since that's what he was being instructed.

"Saturday?"

"I'm charmed. Your chivalry needs work." She said flat-toned. He smiled, knowing she wasn't going to make this easy.

"M'lady, I would be so honored if you would dine with me this Saturday evening." He said sarcastically, bowing for effect. She rolled her eyes at him, biting back the amused grin on her face.

"Calm down, Romeo. Saturday sounds great. What time should I be expecting my prince charming?"

"Oh, I think he's busy this weekend, but I'm free to get you around 7?"

"And you're still not going to tell me where we're going?"

"No, and that might have to do with the fact that I haven't totally worked that part out yet, but dress nice." She chuckled, nodding in agreement as he made his exit.

Both of them were apprehensive about the date, neither knowing how the other felt. Saturday approached quickly, a little too quickly for Mulder's liking. All of this started by a forced nature, though it had turned into something he never could have imagined. He didn't have many friends, partly his own doing, and he welcomed the change.

Nerves building in every ounce of his body as he walked up to her apartment door, Mulder took a deep breath, as if this was an actual date. He knew she was only agreeing out of courtesy, helping him finish the tasks on his cards. His mind wandering to if this could mean more, but dismissing the thoughts in his own foolishness.

"Hey, let me just grab my coat really quick." She smiled as she opened the door.

He nodded, that's all he could manage after taking in her appearance. Comprehendible words not even a possibility, he chose to stay quiet. She was wearing a deep blue, fitted dress that silhouetted her figure in the best possible way. He had only ever seen her in pantsuits or scrubs, this a welcome treat. The knee-length, silky ensemble made from the heavens, accentuated all of her physical attributes, showing just a modest amount of cleavage that he already knew was going to drive him insane all evening. He exhaled deeply, breath catching in his throat as he saw her strappy, high heels, that he could only hope meant she was committed more to this date than just her sense of obligation.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night, or are you taking me to dinner?" She asked, eyebrow arching, smirk appearing at the bewildered look on his face.

"I, uh, as much as I would love to take you up on that offer, I apparently owe you a proper date." He said with a sheepish smile.

"Mulder, this place is incredible. I'm impressed." She teased, taking in her surroundings. The Italian restaurant was dimly lit by candlelight and the twinkling decorations around each table. They were escorted to their seats, situating themselves across from each other, an awkward silence settling over them.

"I'd like to think this would satisfy her idea of a formal date." He huffed, still feeling ridiculous for having to follow these assignments set out for him.

"So what's the story there anyway? I've been meaning to ask about the mysterious cards." She said as she sipped her wine. He glanced at her wet mouth, watching as she licked an escaped drop off her plump lips. He fidgeted in his seat, mentally regaining his composure.

"I, uh, she was an old friend, Rosie, and she just recently passed away. She was widowed, never had any kids, and growing up, I sort of became her family. I helped her with her weekly errands, just kept her company. She lost her husband in the war when she was young, never remarried because she truly believed in the idea of a soulmate. She was imaginative, lively. She pushed me to do things far out of my comfort zone, which if I wasn't too stubborn to admit, actually probably saved me over the years." He said with a small smile.

"Hence the cards?"

"Yeah, exactly. Her last push, even beyond the grave." He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I tried to check in on her as much as possible when I moved away, visited during the summers I came home. It became difficult when I started working, minimizing the contact to just a phone call every so often."

"I'm sure you did more for her than you'll ever allow yourself to realize. Though you should, considering she left everything to you."

"I know, I feel bad, distancing myself that way towards the end. She was in a way, the only family I really felt I had as well." His voice was distant, and she could see the sadness in his eyes. She reached over to cover his hand with hers in a comforting gesture. He stiffened at the sudden movement, smiling as he relaxed into the small contact.

"So how many cards did you say you needed to complete?"

"There are 10, or so I've been told. I only get one at a time, needing to fulfill that one before I can receive the next. It's probably because she knows I'd just make up some plan to finish them all, instead of enjoying the actual meaning behind them."

"And are you, enjoying your tasks?" She asked with genuine interest, a gleam shining through her eye. He smiled, nodding silently.

"Yeah, it's been alright so far."

"Your flattery needs work, too."

He chuckled, enjoying the ease between them. He had never felt this way with someone before, and he couldn't decipher his mixed emotions. He also had no indication on how she was feeling in relation to all of their time spent together, and didn't want to jump to conclusions. They were both treading on careful water, just enjoying their time together.

After dinner, the ride back to her apartment was rather quiet, both suddenly realizing that there was another card, following this one, and they didn't know if they were ready to move past this.

"I had a really nice evening, thank you." She said in a small voice. They were standing in her doorway, a nervousness surrounding them.

"It was my pleasure. I'll, uh, see you around work." He said as he began to walk away, both exchanging small smiles. He stopped in his stride down the hallway, turning before she closed the door. "Scully..."

"Yeah?" The anticipation of his interruption building her anxiousness.

"You look really nice tonight." He turned, before she had a chance to respond. She bit her lip, finding this part of his charm absolutely endearing. Her heart sank slightly, knowing he was only here because he had a commitment to fulfill. She pushed aside her personal feelings, taking him and their newfound friendship as it was.

Monday morning, Mulder stopped by Scott's office on his way to work. They had a picture taken of them while at dinner, as proof of the completion of the card. He had made himself a copy, just for his own keeping as well.

"Everything look's good, let me grab the next card for you." Scott said distractedly, escaping to his office to retrieve it. "I noticed you chose against the weekend retreat."

"Uh, yeah. I mean, we work together, and I just thought that would be a little too much. How did you know?" Genuine interest clouding his mind.

"It's my job to know what's on the cards, I have to know that you complete them entirely."

"Oh, right."

"So, since you didn't take her for the getaway, can I imply that you don't care for her in that way?"

"Why does that matter?" Mulder's tone was harsher than he intended, annoyance rising by the sly smirk on Scott's face.

"Well, I was wondering if I could ask her out."

"It's not my job to say whether you can or not. She's just a friend, a coworker who got wrapped up in this mess."

"Right...well then, I suppose I'll take my opportunity. I'll see you after you're done with that one." Scott said, amused my Mulder's discomfort. He gritted his teeth, nodding as he made his exit.

On his way to work, his mind was in a whirlwind. He didn't have a claim on Scully, she was simply going along to help him finish his tasks, and he never indicated that he wanted more from this. He chastised himself, slamming his hand on the steering wheel. He didn't want to jeopardize anything between them, but didn't want to hold her back either. He mostly just hoped she wouldn't fall for Scott's tricks.

He was working on another profile, a milder case. Wanting to escape from his own mind, he made his way to the downstairs basement, hiding from the outside world. Hours had passed, and he was startled when the small knock on the door came, before opening slowly.

"I figured I'd find you down here." Scully said with a small smile.

"What can I do for you?"

"I have found your most recent victim on my table. I was just bringing you the autopsy reports, in case you needed more for your profile."

"Great, thanks."

"So, did you get your new card today?" She asked distractedly, genuine interest in her voice. He chuckled, knowing the lack of information was killing her.

"I did, but I haven't opened it yet."

"Oh, okay. Are you, uh, going to open it?"

"I think you're more interested in my next task than I am." He teased.

"Well considering the first 3 involved me, I'm just curious."

"Fine, I'll open it." He playfully glared at her, smiling at the gleam in her eye. He read the card first, biting back his laugh. He handed it to her for her to read, finding amusement in her small pout.

'Take a vacation. Time for yourself is of great importance.'

"There's not more to the card?" She asked, flipping it over as if she was willing more words to appear.

"Nope. It's a pretty simple direction. I have enough built up vacation days to be gone for a year." He scoffed.

"Do you have an idea of where you're planning to go?"

"I have no clue, I'll have to think about it, I guess. Should be a pretty easy task to complete though."

"Yeah, you'll, uh, have fun with it, I'm sure." She said with a small smile, attempting to mask the disappointment on her face. Without the cards, it almost seemed as if he didn't want to be around her, but she didn't want to bring that to attention, seeming needy.

"I don't plan on being gone for longer than a few days." He said quickly, not fully understanding why he felt the need to reassure her of that. She flashed him a timid smile, before nodding and making her exit.

He slumped back into his chair, stalling about picking a place for his vacation. He was dreading it, never really having the time for days off. He usually felt restless and antsy the minute he had too much down time. An idea popped into his head, finding his own loophole in this mess. He jumped up and made his way to the filing cabinet, dusting off a few of the drawers before opening a new can of worms. He began sifting through several of the files, his mind excited about the different cases he was reading about. He found one that was plausible enough, and headed upstairs to put his plan into action.

"Agent Mulder, you understand that these cases are in the basement for a reason? They're unsolvable, cold cases with absurd claims." The Assistant Director Skinner explained.

"Yes, and I'm not asking you to send me on a case. I was going to be taking some vacation days soon, and was hoping to investigate this, unofficially." Mulder explained carefully.

"I suppose I can't stop you from that."

"I was also hoping that I could bring along Dr. Scully, just to investigate the bodies of the victims. It's been believed that they all died from some kind of hex put on them, I was just hoping for her medical opinion."

"So you want a consult, a partner, for this unofficial investigation?"

"Yes, but she would be officially investigating." Mulder said, scolding himself for how idiotic his plan now seemed. AD Skinner sighed, rubbing his hands on his temples, exasperated by the ambitious agent in front of him.

"Fine. Send me the travel details to approve, and the vacation hours." He said as he waved him out of the office, actually relieved to have him out of his hair for a few days. Mulder went wide-eyed, unbelieving that his scheme actually worked. He was excited to spend his 'vacation' with Scully, finding different ways to be around her more.

"Pack your best bikini, Scully. We're going to the lovely city of Miami." Mulder exclaimed as he strolled into the morgue. He was holding the case file in his hands, his presence causing her to become suspicious.

"Mulder, what on earth are you talking about?" Her hand movement stopped, scalpel still resting on the skin of her latest autopsy victim. She could see the gleam in his eye, knowing something made him excited. She found some small solace in the fact that it might have to do with her, too.

"I found a case to 'unofficially investigate' in Miami. I'll just use my vacation days, and head down there to check it."

"You must be a little vague on the meaning of the word vacation." She said flat-toned.

"Ha ha, Scully. I'm making it my own version of a vacation. I was wondering if you would like to come with me." He paused, realizing how it sounded. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way, seeing her stone faced response, he was quick to add that it was simply for work. "To, uh, do an autopsy. I already got the clearance." The sheepish smile sweeping over his face, causing her to lips to curl into a smirk.

"Only one of us has vacation days built up, Mulder."

"Well, for you, it would be an official investigation, on the bureau dollar. You even get to write a report when you're done and everything." He mocked excitement, causing her to shoot him a glare.

"So, I'm getting dragged out to some random case, just because you don't know how to just lay around at the beach and actually be on vacation?" Eyebrow arching to new heights, challenging him.

"Not if you don't put it like that."

"Your chivalry still needs work." She said completely void of emotion. She was so desperately attempting to mask the full grin on her face. She resumed her slicing and dicing, leaving him there confused. He didn't know how to respond, so he slowly began to leave before she spoke up again. "When do we leave?"

"Really? You're agreeing?" He turned abruptly, that boyish grin on his face that she's loved seeing.

"Yes, but we get at least one day of actual vacation."

"Deal. I'll call you later with the details." He said with a bright smile. She chuckled as she watched him walk away, wondering what this trip would exactly mean for them. It was strange for her, to feel herself being pulled towards someone so strongly. She couldn't decipher the emotions, just suppressing them as they arose.

Mulder had sent her over the details, both of them anxious about the trip. She was meeting him at the gate, her heels clicking on the hard floor of the airport. He glanced up at the familiar sound, smiling as she approached him.

"Scully, I really hope you brought clothes for Miami, this is a vacation." He said lightly, smirk touching his lips. She glared at him, pursing her mouth to hide her own smile.

"I read over the case file. Witchcraft?" She said judging his choice, looking towards him with anticipation of his explanation.

"You have to admit, it's curious that these young women all visited Madam Mercier right before they mysteriously died."

"So you're saying that these unsuspecting college students just wandered into the wrong palm reading shop on the beach, and were all cursed?"

"Well, at least those specific ones. Maybe she saw something in their fortune that was evil, and wanted to rid of those spirits."

"I don't even know where to begin with an explanation for that."

"Why? Worried she'll see something in your future?" He wagged his eyebrows at her, causing her to huff out a small breath. She opened her mouth to say something in response, closing it as they called boarding for their flight.

They made their way on the plane, settling into their seats comfortably. He could sense the shift in her mood, anxiousness radiating from her. She was attempting to control her breathing, she hated flying. Once the plane was finished with boarding, and it began to move, he could see her hands gripping on the armrest between their seats. He reached over, placing his warm hand over hers. They didn't look at each other, just let the calming air around them settle. She slightly stretched her fingers to link just the smallest sliver of their fingers together, silently giving her thanks.

The rest of the plane ride was rather quiet, neither really knowing what to say. They had left their hands linked that way the entire ride, not wanting to move from their small, unspoken moment.

When they arrived to the hotel, she was surprised about where they were staying. This was her first out of town assignment, but she had heard from others that the bureau didn't exactly spring for the best accommodations. She gave him a puzzled look, causing that sheepish smile to sweep across his face.

"I figured we should at least enjoy the vacation part a little." He teased.

"I'm impressed. Maybe there's hope for you yet." She teased back as he escorted her to the room.

When they entered, they were both taken back by the view that stared back at them. They were only a block away from the beach, but high enough that all they could see was the water. There were two rooms, one on each side of the large living room area, both just as luxurious as the other. They got themselves situated in their rooms, and met back in the living area just in time for lunch.

"You look nice, Scully." He said as glanced upon her fitted jeans and tank top. It was definitely hot, and humid, also causing her hair to curl, which he loved.

"Thanks." She answered with a shy smile. "So, uh, where are we off to today?"

"Well, I was thinking we'd just have lunch, and then hit the beach. I want to stop into Madam Mercier's shop, just as random tourists, see if anything seems suspicious about it." She nodded with a tightlipped smile, already knowing she was in for an adventure.

They ate lunch and then strolled along the beach walkway, taking in the locals. It was definitely a completely different scene than their normal work day. When they approached the shop in question, Mulder's eyes lit up in anticipation.

"Ready to find out about your future?" He wagged his eyebrows as she rolled her eyes in response.

Wandering around the shop, Scully let her fingertips graze over some of the crystals strewn about. Mulder was taking in his surroundings, trying to find some kind of clue that this was the right place. A small, elderly woman entered from the back, stopping in her stride to take in the customers of her shop.

"How can I help the lovely people today?" She asked in a thick accent. Mulder smiled at the tiny woman, noticing the gleam in her eye, as if she had just bestowed her eyes on her next victim.

"We are just visiting in town, on vacation. Your crystals are gorgeous." Scully said as she turned her attention towards the woman in question, hand resting over another crystal candle.

"That one there, that is for new love. Is that what you are in search of?" Madam Mercier asked with a knowing tone to her voice, glancing between Scully and Mulder. Her eyes went wide, retracting her hand as if the unlit candle burned her.

"We were more just here to check everything out, look around." He answered quickly, noticing the color rising to Scully's cheeks. He found that response absolutely amusing.

"Can I interest you in a quick palm reading? Free of charge unless you would like the details." She said as she sat in her normal seat, signaling for Scully to sit in front of her. Madam Mercier was curious about these two, wanting to confirm her initial suspicions.

"Oh, that's not necessary. Thank you for offering."

"Ahh, un sceptique. Just a quick one, maybe open your interests."

Scully nodded, nervously sitting in the spot designated for her. She was a skeptic, not believing in this stuff, constantly rolling her eyes at her imaginative sister, Melissa. This was definitely more her scene, but Scully had to admit, she was always curious about it. Madam Mercier cradled her hand gently, running her finger over her palm.

"You're strong, emotionally, physically. You should open yourself up more, love is there, you're just too closed off to see it."

"As in I already know the person I'm supposed to be with? Or are we just speaking in vague notions?" Scully answered with pursed lips at the general statements. Anyone who spoke to her for a few minutes would have probably come to the same conclusion.

"If you doubt my abilities, I could give you a detailed reading. Tell you what you really want to know about what that new man in your life means for you." Madam Mercier said as she subtly glanced towards Mulder.

"No, that's okay. I think I have all I need. Thank you for your time though, it's a lovely shop you have here." She said with a small smile as she got up. He nodded towards the elderly woman, exiting the shop, leading Scully out with his hand placed on the small of her back.

"So...?" He asked cautiously as they made their way back to the hotel.

"She's a complete scam artist. Giving vague statements, as if it's supposed to actually be a glimpse into my life. She only gives you more details, though I doubt even that, if you pay her. She's nothing more than any other scammer of a palm reader." She huffed in disbelief.

"I think you should go back, I'll pay for the in depth reading."

"You can't be serious, did you not hear anything I just said?"

"I did, but I still think there's more there. Maybe, tomorrow while I'm looking around where the victims were found, you can head back alone. It might change the atmosphere."

"It's not going to change my mind though. If you think it'll help your 'unofficial' investigation, then fine."

"Thank you." He said as he bumped her arm with his. She rolled her eyes at him, the smirk touching her lips.

The next morning, Mulder made his way off to the former crime scenes, most of them being cleaned up by now. The most recent victim was found about 4 months ago, and wasn't even slightly investigated. Scully strolled back down to the shop, her stomach turning as the nervousness ran through her. She didn't believe in this, but the curiosity inside of her was overwhelming.

"I've been waiting for you." Madam Mercier said knowingly. Scully held back on rolling her eyes, trying to remain open minded for the sake of Mulder's case.

"I - I'm just curious, I suppose." She said in a small voice. The Madam nodded, situating herself in her usual seat. Scully sat in front of her, putting the payment on the table. The tiny woman smiled, preparing herself for a full reading.

"When I said that love was there, it is meant that your soul is already intertwined with another's. You've already met the man you are to spend the rest of your days with."

"You said something about a new man...is this the person that is my soul mate, or is it someone of my past?" Eyebrow arching, awaiting the answer.

"It is a new love, blossoming. Does the name, William, mean anything to you?"

"Sure, it's a family name. My father and brother, but how did you know that?"

"It will mean more to you than that. Open the heart, and it'll come to you." She said as she ignored her questioning. She smiled to herself, closing her eyes as a vision came to her. "It may come sooner than you think."

"Thank you...I think that's all for today." Scully cleared her throat, rising from her chair. She nodded towards the elderly woman, briskly exiting the small shop.

She began walking along the beach, needing to clear her mind. She wasn't expecting to be so affected by today's visit to Madam Mercier, but her thoughts were bouncing around sporadically. Her heart told her who she wanted to this new man to be, but her brain shut down those thoughts. Always overthinking the situation. She jumped slightly when her phone rang, it breaking her from her reverie.

"H - Hello?" She answered distractedly.

"Is this Dana Scully?" An unfamiliar voice spoke back to her.

"Yes, this is she."

"This is Scott Lewis, Mulder's friend handling all of his tasks. We met briefly last week."

"Oh, yes. How can I help you?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting your day, but I was wondering if I could interest you in joining me for dinner sometime this weekend?" She could hear him attempting to charm her through the phone. Her heart dropped slightly, surely this can't be the man Madam Mercier was speaking of.

"Uh, sure. I'm available on Saturday." She said in a small voice, licking her lips nervously. She could see Mulder walking towards her, knowing this was going to be an awkward situation.

"Perfect. How about we plan for Saturday around 7. I'll be in touch in a few days to go over the details. I look forward to seeing you then."

"Yeah, sounds good." She said before hanging up the phone. Mulder furrowed his brow, sensing something was definitely running through her mind.

"How'd the reading go?"

"It was fine. She mostly just focused on my love life, which apparently is getting more exciting by the minute." She scoffed, bowing her head. He bumped her shoulder with his arm, regaining her attention.

"Don't make me guess."

"Sorry, I, uh, that was Scott. He was calling to invite me to dinner this weekend, and I accepted."

"Oh, that's...great."

"I don't want to make things weird between us. I know he's your friend, and we work together. Not that we're not friends, too. I just mean -"

"It's okay, really, Scully. You'll have a good time, I'm sure." He said in a small voice. His heart sank, knowing this was his own doing, but he didn't want to jeopardize anything between them. He enjoyed their newfound friendship, and didn't want to ruin it as he had done so many times before. "So what did Madam Mercier say specifically?"

"Mostly just a repeat of yesterday, saying my soul was already mixed with someone else's. She said I met this man, but it's a new, blossoming relationship. She asked me about the name William, which for me, is just a family name, but she said it would mean more." She said with a shrug, not really paying much mind to the information.

"William?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That's Scott's middle name. Maybe she wasn't wrong after all." He said with a tightlipped smile, strolling ahead, leaving her wide-eyed on the walkway. He only knew this information, because it was his own middle name, too.


	3. The Vacation

After spending the next day investigating, they kept coming up empty. Mulder's gut feeling still kept urging him towards Madam Mercier, regardless of Scully's opinion on the matter. While she was in the morgue, he snuck away to have his own reading done, to see if he could get more of an answer to his instincts.

"Welcome back, I see your friend is not with you." Madam Mercier said, with emphasis on the word 'friend.'

"Uh, yeah, she is doing her own thing today. Thought I'd check it out, since she enjoyed it so much."

"Your flattery is generous, but I know she does not believe in my abilities as you do." She said as she situated herself in her normal seat. Mulder made himself comfortable across from her, putting down the payment to make his intentions clear.

"I see a great loss in you, sadness, loneliness. Though there is a high strength in your heart, your soul." She smiled, more to herself than him. "You will be good for her, you should stop doubting it."

"Oh, that's not, she's not -"

"You've found the person to fill your void, don't let her go because of your own self doubt. Allow yourself to be loved, it is of great importance." She said as her voice drifted off. His head shot up, eyes widening at her final words. They were exactly Rosie's words about this task and him taking a vacation. He composed himself, suppressing his own emotions to find answers that pertained to his investigation.

"I'll definitely take that into consideration. Do you get a lot of visitors here?"

"I have many who roam into my shop as you and your friend had. Curious, although one will never admit it."

"Do you only do love readings?"

"I read what I see, what comes to me. Not all are as pleasant as yours. Some, I can not prevent what is coming to them."

"As in, you see their death?"

"No, but I see their misfortunes. For those, their destiny is sealed, the most I can do it give them the happier thoughts to look forward to."

"Do you ever, do anything to speed up the process of their fate?"

"I would never tamper with the life of an innocent soul. If you'll excuse me, I have a few things I need to finish." She said as she swiftly stood up and escaped to the back. Mulder ran back to the hotel, needing to look into the files of each of the deceased with more detail.

"Hey, I thought you'd still be at the morgue." He said as he entered their room, seeing Scully on the couch.

"My work there is done. Mulder, all of these people died of natural causes. There's nothing more happening here." She said with an exasperated sigh.

"That may be true, but, just bear with me." He ran to his room to gather the files, bringing them to the main area.

"We've looked through these a million times, there's nothing more we are going to find."

"Madam Mercier said that she would never tamper with the life of an innocent soul, so what if these people weren't innocent in her eyes. What if she saw their past indiscretions, and took it upon herself to punish them."

"When did you speak with her?" Scully's brow furrowed, confused about the information she was being told.

"Oh, uh, when you were doing the autopsy."

"Did you interrogate her, or have a reading?"

"I, uh, thought that having my own reading would open her up to talking, which it did. That's how I got this much out of her."

"So what did she say about your future?" She asked as her eyebrow rose in question.

"Nothing, really. Just pretty much the generic stuff she told you."

"Yeah, but she did tell me something specific, come on, I can tell there's something you're not saying."

"It's nothing. She just told me to allow myself to be loved. It's nothing I don't already know, and just choose to ignore." He scoffed. He busied himself by rummaging through the files, avoiding the line of questioning. She let it go, sensing whatever else he was told, he didn't want to discuss.

"This person was arrested, just a petty theft though. Nothing that I would deem worthy of the great Madam Mercier killing them off early for." Scully said as she tossed one of the files to Mulder.

"How did he die?"

"Uh, looks like he had an aneurysm. Unusual for his age, but not unheard of." She shrugged off the thought. He felt guilty, sensing that she wasn't as invested into this as he was. He promised her some vacation time while they were here, and was going to hold true to his word. However, the dynamic changed, with her upcoming date with Scott.

"I'm going to look into this stuff some more tomorrow, but you should enjoy your time here. I promised you at least one day of vacation, so enjoy it." He said with a small smile. Her face fell, hoping they would be spending that vacation day together. It furthered the confirmation of her thoughts of him not wanting anything to do with her if it didn't involve work.

"Oh, yeah, thanks." She said in a small voice before escaping to her room. There was something absolutely maddening about this complicated man, something that made her completely addicted to him.

The next day, Mulder had already disappeared, leaving her to explore on her own. She walked along the shops on the beach, enjoying the change in scenery. She always enjoyed her solitary vacations, as rare as they were, but this time she wanted to have someone else's company. Rolling her eyes in defeat, she pulled out her phone to dial the already familiar number.

"Yeah, Mulder." His voice was rougher than usual, instinct immediately telling her something was wrong.

"Where are you?" She asked with urgency in her voice.

"I'm uh, a little held up right now."

"Mulder..."

"I'm at the local hospital, it's a long story, but I'm fine." He said with a resigned sigh. She didn't need to hear anymore. Closing her phone shut, without any further discussion, she made her way to find him.

When she arrived, she asked around until one of the nurses finally led her in the right direction. She approached his bed, the curtain halfway closed, so he couldn't see her walking towards him. She slid the drapery back slowly, an apologetic grin already present on his face.

"Do I even want to know?" She asked, eyebrow raising in judgement.

"To be fair, it wasn't even my fault. I thought I had a lead, and he ran. I don't know the beachside cliffs as well as I thought I did, and kind of fell..."

"Mulder, do you realize you could have been severely hurt? That was incredibly stupid of you, to blindly chase someone while unofficially investigating a case. You're lucky all you have is a few bruises." She exhaled deeply, picking up his chart hanging at the end of his bed.

Her hand tightened it's grip on the clipboard, reading his full name. Fox William Mulder. There it was, that name again. Perhaps this could have been the cause of his mood shift, following her reading. But why wouldn't he tell her? Maybe he didn't want it to be true, he didn't want him to be her soulmate. Her heart sank at the thoughts, pushing the knowledge aside. She licked her lips nervously, meeting his gaze again.

"I know, Scully, I'm sorry. I promise, I'm done with the investigation." That puppy dog pout on his lips, she couldn't help but smile.

"Well that's good, because we head back home tomorrow. I'm going to check with the nurses to see if you're cleared to leave. Try not to find yourself in trouble while I'm gone." She playfully glared at him, causing the smirk to touch his lips. He loved seeing her like this, worried for him, tending to his side. He was going to milk this for as much as he could, before having to enter back into reality.

Slowly, they made their way back to the hotel, her helping him get settled. He plopped himself on the couch, wincing at the pain in his ribs. It was only the afternoon, and they weren't leaving until the following morning. He felt guilty again, her having to spend her promised vacation time with him.

"I'm good here, if you wanted to go back to your vacation." He said nonchalantly.

"No, it's okay. I'd feel better knowing you have a babysitter." She teased as she settled on the couch next to him. He smiled, considering there was a smaller love seat beside the main couch, and she chose to sit with him.

"We could, uh, order a pizza later, and watch whatever movies are on TV. I know it's not the vacation you were expecting but-"

"It's perfect." She said with a small smile, turning her attention to the television. He nodded, flipping through channels before settling on a classic movie that illuminated the screen.

Several hours of black and white films later, Scully had dozed off, her head eventually resting on Mulder's shoulder. He smiled to himself, loving every minute of it. He threw his head back, falling asleep himself. When she finally roused, she blinked several times, taking in her surroundings. The television screen was bright in the now dark room, causing her to squint as her eyes adjusted. She finally pushed herself up, realizing she had fallen asleep, and her head eventually ended up resting in Mulder's lap. He had fallen asleep as well, his arm lightly caressing her side. When she glanced at the clock, it was well into the middle of the night, so she covered him with the blanket on the couch, and escaped to her room to sleep. As she settled into bed, she smiled to herself, having this small moment to hold onto.

The next morning she made her way into the main room, seeing him still in a heavy sleep on the couch. He had managed to situate himself on his back, that perfectly chiseled arm resting over his torso. She smiled at the sight, moving closer to gather up the case files that were strewn on the table before them.

Mulder had began to wake slowly, eyes adjusting to his surroundings. She hadn't noticed him staring at her, catching her off guard when she finally looked up. They exchanged coy smiles, her cheeks tinging with color in memory of her laying in his lap.

"Good morning, how do you feel today?" She asked casually.

"I feel like I did something incredibly stupid yesterday." He winced, pain radiating from his side.

"Well, at least you're facing the consequences. Saves me a lecture."

"Our flight doesn't leave until this afternoon, you should go out and enjoy the day." He said sincerely, he still felt responsible for her lack of vacation that he originally promised.

"Why do I always feel like you're trying to get rid of me?" She asked with a heavy sigh.

"No, Scully, I'm not - It's just..."

"I'm just messing with you, relax." She said as she attempted to stifle a laugh at how flustered he became.

"I do feel bad though, I'm sure this isn't what you had in mind."

"I honestly didn't know what to expect, considering this is an unofficial, official investigation slash cover for a vacation." She said with an arch of the eyebrow, smirk fully blossomed on her face.

"Point proven." He chuckled. She plopped on the couch next to him as he sat up in a more seated position. "I, uh, was thinking about something though..."

"Well that's never a good thing."

"Ha ha, Scully. No, I - I'm going to have to give Scott some kind of proof that I took a vacation, and well..."

"Oh. Right."

"I don't have to tell him you came with me, I mean, technically this was work, so I can find another way."

"No, it's okay. I can vouch for you." She bumped his shoulder with hers, playing the situation lightly. He flashed her a tightlipped smile, nodding in agreement.

The rest of the day was spent by them packing up their things. They held their bags at the hotel and decided to take one last walk along the beach. It was the perfect end to their unconventional vacation. They began to approach Madam Mercier's shop, and he could feel nervousness radiating from her beside him. When he glanced down at her, he could see her biting her lip anxiously, a curiosity in her eyes.

"Should we say goodbye?" He asked lightly, gauging the situation.

"I suppose so."

They entered the shop, noticing the lack of presence from the Madam herself. Scully picked up a small crystal that hung from a thin wire chain. She cradled the crystal gently, completely enchanted by the deep purple color.

"Take it, as a parting gift." Madam Mercier said, startling Scully as she appeared from the back.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. That's very generous, but-"

"Please. It will bring you great luck in your very future endeavors." She said with a slight gleam in her eyes. Scully's cheeks tinged with color, bowing her head shyly.

"We were just stopping by, before we left." Mulder chimed in, breaking them both from their conversation.

"I wish you both the best, remember what I've told you. Don't run away from it." And with that, she disappeared to the back of the store again, leaving them both lost in their own thoughts.

Their flight back was rather quiet, neither knew what to say to the other after visiting the shop one last time. It also occurred to both of them that she would be going on a date with Scott soon, leaving their shared vacation as a thing of the past. They both gathered their luggage, and made their way outside. Mulder had left his car parked at the airport, offering to give her a ride home.

"How did you want me to, uh, verify your vacation?" She asked as he pulled up to the curb outside of her apartment. Them entering back into reality suddenly felt like the last thing either of them wanted to do.

"I hadn't really thought about it. I was going to show him my plane tickets, hotel invoice, so I guess you don't really need to say anything. Don't want to create an issue or anything." He shrugged off the conversation.

"Why would it be an issue?" Her brow furrowed, genuinely confused.

"I just mean, it could get complicated, with you dating Scott now." He was being an idiot, and he knew it, but he couldn't control it. The passive-aggressive comments, the stubbornness.

"It's one date, Mulder. That I haven't even gone on yet. I don't see why that would be an issue. Unless, uh-" She shut her mouth, more so her own thoughts escaping without thought. She knew by his recent actions that he wasn't interested in her that way. She shook her head, licking her lips subconsciously as she opened the car door, finalizing their conversation.

"Let me know if you still need me as a witness for you, I'll see you around work." She said clearly annoyed by their conversation. He didn't know what happened, or where the shift occurred, but he could only guess that it was his fault. He nodded as she closed the door, and watched her disappear inside.

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, angry with himself. Why couldn't he just tell her how he was beginning to feel? Instead, he was practically handing her off to another guy.

By the time Monday rolled around, Mulder had come up with too many different ways on how Scully's date with Scott had gone. He wanted to call, and apologize for simply being an ass for the better part of their impromptu vacation, but didn't want to seem as desperate as he felt. He also wasn't too keen on having to see Scott so early before work to get his next task.

"How was the vacation?" Scott asked, a little too chipper for Mulder's liking. That must have meant the date went well.

"It was fine. Here's my travel information, as proof. Even a nice little hospital stay, just in case you needed to make sure I was there." Mulder said with a little more bitterness than he anticipated.

"Everything looks good, although you didn't need to bring me anything. Dana talked enough about your vacation." Scott said with amused grin on his face. Mulder clenched his jaw at his use of her first name. Like they were already intimately involved.

Scott knew just how to push Mulder's buttons, he always did. Truth was, Scully vowed to herself to not speak about him at all. She was just going to let the date happen. The more the evening went on, the only things she talked about with such excitement and enthusiasm involved him. Scott could instantly tell that it was a sympathy date, a friendly gesture. The way she talked about Mulder, Scott knew he never really even had a chance. Losing a girl to Fox Mulder, that was a first for him. He wasn't going to let it go just that easily.

"I, uh, she was more so there for work."

"So she made a point to say, several times. I don't know who she was trying to convince more...me, or herself."

"Can I just get the next card?" Mulder said, annoyance rising. Scott flashed him a smug smile, retreating to his office to get the fifth card.

"Bring me back the proof, no rush." Scott handed him the card, already distracted by the ringing phone in his office.

Mulder made his way to work, completely in a trance about the revelations of this morning. In all the different ways he imagined their date going, her talking about him was never part of the realm of possibilities. They weren't working on anything together, and he needed to find a reason to see her.

He settled his things on his desk, plopping down in his chair. He played with the envelope, almost afraid to open it. Wishing it had something to do with her. He wiggled the paper loose, sighing at the words on the paper in front of him.

'Go on another date, with someone new. Enjoy yourself.'

It's definitely not what he wanted to read. He didn't know how to even begin to explain this one to Scully. Mentally laughing to himself, as if she was someone he needed to explain things to. He already hated this task, not even having any idea who he would be taking on this next date. He sat back in his chair, scanning the room. No prospects that he was even remotely interested in jumped out at him. The smile on his face only appeared when he saw that familiar redheaded figure walking towards him.

"Morning, Scully. How was your weekend?" He feigned innocence, as if he wasn't reveling in the fact that she talked about him the entire time.

"It was fine, how was yours?" This was weird for them, these casual pleasantries as if they were just acquaintances talking over the coffee pot at work.

"Can't complain. What brings you up here?"

"I was just bringing up my official report on the unofficial case." She teased, causing him to relax a little. They had left things hanging with such an awkward tone set between them. "I also was hoping to catch you, say thank you. I, uh, forgot to when you dropped me off."

"No worries, nothing to thank me for. I'm glad you got to enjoy at least some of it."

"Oh, I'd say it was an overall experience that I don't plan on forgetting any time soon." Smirk touching her lips, he couldn't help but smile. "Did you get your next card?"

She was anxious about the next task, hoping it would allow him to find another loophole to involve her. He winced slightly, but not unnoticed by her. She furrowed her brow in question, exchanging an entire conversation between them wordlessly.

"Yeah, I have another date, apparently."

"Just...you?"

"Uh, yeah." He handed her the card. She read it, repeatedly. Who knew that less than 10 words can cause her heart to sink so fast?

"Oh. Well, any idea who you plan to ask?"

"No, not really. No one really comes to mind."

They both didn't know how to even work around this one. He was mentally scolding himself, wondering if he had taken her to the Vineyard, if that would have changed the direction of the cards for them both. She was hoping that her failed date with Scott would mean that they could move forward together. Neither was ready or willing to admit how they were starting to admire the other, so it remained in the unspoken world between them.

"What if, uh, I set you up with someone? I have a friend, I think you guys would get along." She said craftily. If she could control the situation, perhaps that would give their relationship hope. She huffed a small breath, what relationship?

"Uh, sure. It would save me the trouble of actually having to find someone to do this thing with. Plus, if she's anything like you, I'm sure I'll like her." He said off-handedly, not realizing what his words could mean. The color in her cheeks rose, and he sat up a little straighter as his words replayed in his mind. "I just meant, uh-"

"I'll send you her info, and talk to her about it. I'll see you later." She said with a coy smile as she made her brisk escape.

He smiled, loving this game they played. Hating it at the same time, wanting more from whatever they were. He didn't think she wanted him the same way he did her, but with what Scott told him, his mind began to wonder. Only time would tell, and he still needed to get through this date, hoping that the rest of the tasks involved Scully.


	4. The Second Date

Scully had chosen a friend for him, and set their date for that weekend. She wanted to keep it as blind as possible, hoping her plan would work. She didn't pick the most unattractive friend she had, but the one who was a little homely. Her name was Sarah, and she lived a simple life working in medical records at the hospital that Scully once did her rotations. Sarah was only a few years older than Scully, so just about Mulder's age. They weren't close by any means, but they kept in touch, sent a casual email to catch up every few months or so. Scully went through a wild phase in med school, and Sarah definitely never found herself in the same scene as her, but they were friendly at work, in a professional atmosphere. She felt wrong, picking her instead of her many other single friends who are drop dead gorgeous, at least in the eyes of all the guys that constantly hit on them when they went out. This was safe, secure. She knew she still had a chance if he went out with Sarah.

The thought made her question if that's what she even wanted, what he wanted. All she knew was that they would never be able to explore that if he hit it off with one of her more lively friends. It's not something she was ready to let go, because she wanted to explore the possibilities just a tad more. She only hoped that the next card didn't lead him further away from her.

Scully sat at the cafe near work, waiting for Sarah to arrive. She wanted to meet with her before her date with Mulder, just to make sure everything was going to go just as planned. She also felt guilty for randomly talking to her, just to go on a date with him. She had been sitting there for about 10 minutes past the time they had planned to meet, getting anxious. Her eyes grew wide, and her faith flew out the window as she saw a somewhat familiar face walking towards her. Sarah was wearing a tightly fitted wrap dress, showing just a modest amount of cleavage she didn't remember her having. She was fit, and her mousy brown hair was now a deep burgundy, accenting her hazel eyes. Scully let out a small whimper of defeat, feeling like she already lost.

"Dana! It's so great to see you!" Sarah exclaimed, embracing her in a tight hug. She also didn't remember her being that bubbly.

"Sarah, my god, look at you! You look great!"

"Thank you, it's taken a while, but I'm finally comfortable with myself now. I'm definitely not the poor, shy girl you remember having to graciously strike up a conversation with."

"Yeah, I can definitely tell. It's great to see you so happy." She meant it, she just hoped that happiness didn't fully involve Mulder in the near future.

"That means so much to me. So tell me, what's new with you? What's the story with this guy I'm supposed to be meeting tonight?"

"Nothing new with me, I don't know if you knew, but I left practicing medicine. Well, in a hospital at least. I'm a pathologist with the FBI."

"I did hear about that, was it because of Waterston?" Scully licked her lips nervously at the question, an awkwardness settling over them. "Oh my god, I didn't mean to overstep. I just heard-"

"Yeah, it's okay. I think everyone eventually knew. It wasn't because of him, but I do think that was my final push."

"Well good riddance, you were too good for him anyway. So tell me, what's with this guy, Mulder?"

"I, uh, work with him. He's...a friend, I guess. It's a long story, but he needs a date, and I thought you would be perfect for him." The old you, at least. She left that mental comment to herself.

"What's wrong with him? Sorry, I always have to ask. I've definitely dated some interesting men in my time."

"Nothing. He's brilliant, and a little exhausting, but in an exciting way. I don't think I've ever met someone so completely enthralling. He's sincere, and kind, once you break through his tough exterior he seems to think he has." A smirk was forming on her face, she was completely lost in her own thoughts. Her eyes widened as she looked up to see Sarah watching her talk about him with such adoration. There was a gleam in her eye, like she could tell how Scully was feeling.

"So, why aren't you with him them?" An amused grin forming on Sarah's lips.

"He's just my friend. I haven't even known him that long, we just - it's not like that with us."

"Right. Well, if you can vouch for him, I suppose I shouldn't be dreading this blind date too much. Although, I do have to question your taste in men." Sarah teased. Scully chuckled, enjoying seeing her old friend. She was still nervous about their date going better than she originally anticipated, but felt like she didn't have a say in the matter.

After lunch, Scully made her way back to work, scolding herself for not noticing the voicemail on her phone. There was a new case, and they had requested she attend the briefing, that started 5 minutes ago. She rushed upstairs, hoping to sneak into the back of the room.

"Only troublemakers show up late and sit in the back." She smiled at the familiar voice in her ear, his close proximity causing a rush of new feelings through her.

"I must be hanging out with you too much."

"You wound me, Scully. But, in all fairness, I was only 1 minute late this time."

"What's the case?"

"Well if you would have showed up on time and are paying attention now, it's a serial murderer and rapist, teenage girls." She nodded, letting out a heavy sigh as she turned her attention to the Special Agent in Charge. They both remained quiet for the rest of the briefing. It was a small team, just her, Mulder and two other agents other than the Agent in Charge.

"I'm going to split you up in teams, Johnson and Dr. Scully, Mulder and Lewis." Agent Collins explained, already distracted by the paperwork in front of him.

"Actually, I was hoping to work with Dr. Scully. Her findings during the autopsy could better help my profile." Mulder piped up quickly. Everyone in the room noticed his sense of urgency, Scully bowing her head to mask the smirk on her lips.

"Fine. We'll meet back here tomorrow, 8:00 am sharp. You're all dismissed." Collins said as he handed everyone their files.

"He means it when he says 'sharp.' Don't be late." Mulder teased as they made their way down to the morgue. "Where were you anyway? I tried to find you before the briefing."

"Oh, I was actually out at lunch with someone."

"Like, a date?" He asked with genuine interest. She could hear the change of tone in his voice, it almost sounded like he was disappointed. She wanted to make him sweat just a little longer.

"Something like that. So, any idea on a profile yet?"

"No, I looked over the crime scene photos, but there's something that I'm missing."

"Well, you're more than welcome to watch me do my autopsy, just stay out of the way." She mock glared at him.

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted, causing her to chuckle.

Scully changed into her scrubs, prepping for the autopsy. Mulder was already bouncing around the room, his attention span was worse than a child. She began the autopsy, losing herself in her work. This was what felt safe for her, comfortable. As morbid as it may sound to others, this was her favorite place to be.

"Anything different than the others?" He finally asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"Nothing that jumps out. The others had strangulation marks, and signs of sexual abuse, just like this one. Is he doing anything specific, what's his MO?"

"I don't know yet. All we know, is that the girls are all between 15-17, and they're all from the same town. They don't look similar, their socioeconomic statuses vary...I just don't know."

"The people in their town don't know of any connection between them?"

"No, the parents of the girls said that they didn't recognize the names of the others. Johnson and Lewis were sent this morning to talk to the parents of this 4th victim."

"I wish I had something different than what the autopsy report shows for the others, but I don't. The only thing I can add is that I think whoever is doing it is young, he's inexperienced, sexually at least. The marks show an urgency, like he didn't know what he was doing."

"You think he could be the same age as them? Jesus, that's a little young to start on a murder career path."

"I definitely think he could be younger in age, based on his inefficiency, yes."

"That might be something I can work with. I'll catch you later." His mind was already bouncing around sporadically, theories already forming. She secretly loved watching his mind work like this, it excited her.

After her autopsy, it had been several hours since she last spoke to Mulder. She knew he was off on some kind of lead, or drowning himself in crime scene photos. The elevator dinged, signaling that she had arrived at the basement floor. She knew exactly where to find him when he had disconnected himself from the world, lost in a case.

"Anything new?" She asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Maybe. I was looking over the photos of each other girls' rooms, and two of them have a similar medal hanging from their vanity mirror. It's dated from about 5 years ago, but it is indeed the same medal."

"Medals look similar, how can you be sure it's the same?"

"It has a bible verse on it."

"Which one?"

"Luke 6:31. I'm not exactly up to speed on my bible versus so-"

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." She said in a small voice. She glanced over at him, his eye had a gleam in it. She was impressing him by the minute, unfolding like a flower.

"Well, well, well...do we have a good little Catholic girl on our hands?"

"Catholic, yes. Good...that's questionable sometimes." The smirk appearing on her lips, remembering all the youthful indiscretions of her past. "Did they go to the same church?"

"I don't know, it wasn't brought up in any of the interviews. We can question the families again, see if anything comes from it." He said as he began to gather his files.

"You leaving early today?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. My date, with your friend, is tonight."

"Right. Well, have fun." She said with a small smile. He could tell she wasn't too happy about him having to go on a date with someone else, though he would never question her about it. They played this game, teetering around their feelings about one another, neither ready to concede about their true emotions.

"I'll see you Monday." He said with a slight nod, making his way to the door. She waved, keeping her back to him. After meeting with Sarah that afternoon, all the hope she had was already gone.

* * *

Mulder was nervous for his date, hoping that Scully's choice would prove to him that she wanted to be with him instead. He had only spoken to Sarah, arranging the details of their date. She sounded bubbly and friendly, definitely different than the witty, mostly serious redhead he had become acquainted with. He still preferred the latter.

He waited at the restaurant for her to arrive, becoming more anxious by the minute. He surveyed the room, noticing anyone that walked in through the door. There were a few women who strolled in as if they were looking for someone, but none that matched the description that Sarah gave him. All she said was 'I'll be in a blue dress, you'll know me when you see me.' So he sat, and waited for the blue dress to walk through the door.

It had been 15 minutes of waiting, and he was becoming restless. Finally, the door swung open and in walked a woman in a blue, fitted dress. She wore it well, that much he could at least admire. She had a smile on her face as she approached him, his hopes about what this meant for him and Scully instantly plummeting. She set him up with a beautiful friend, as if she wanted this to work between them. He let out a heavy sigh, and stood to greet her.

"You must be Sarah." He extended a hand, keeping casual pleasantries.

"And you must be Mulder. I must say, you sure did sell yourself short on looks when you described who I was looking for." She said with a flirtatious smirk on her lips. Sarah knew he was off limits, that much she gathered from her lunch date with Scully. It didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself with a little flirting.

"Ah, well, you might be alone in your opinion there." He smiled shyly, taking a sip of his water.

"Oh, I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way."

"So how much did Scully tell you about me?"

"Enough. I think she just wanted us to meet. I must say, it was a rather random request, especially because she hadn't seen me in years before today."

"Today?"

"Yeah, we met for lunch." Sarah answered nonchalantly. That little sneak, she wanted him to believe she had a date with someone. He smiled to himself, perhaps his thinking about her wasn't too far off. It still didn't explain why she would set him up with someone like Sarah. He thought he figured Scully out enough to fix him up with a more simpler friend, someone that didn't hold any striking attributes as Sarah did. That was only if she had actually wanted to be with him herself though.

The rest of the date went smoothly, they both enjoyed each other's company. Sarah knew this man wasn't up for grabs, maybe not officially, and that bummed her out. As much as Mulder was enjoying his time with her, Scully kept popping up in his mind.

Scully was going crazy all night, wanting to know how their date went. She didn't want to seem too desperate, but needed to know, or she would go insane by Monday. She stayed at work longer, hoping to find something in the case that would deem a reason to call Mulder. They were friends, yes, but not the kind of friends to just call each other up and say 'hey how are you? What are your plans for the weekend?' She hated feeling like this, but knew it was her own fault. She was withholding her feelings about him, not wanting to jump into something if he didn't reciprocate.

Saturday morning rolled around, and Scully hadn't slept at all. She tossed and turned all night, just wanting to know something, anything. There was a small ounce of hope in her that this was what Mulder felt like when she had her date with Scott, although he never did ask her about it. Maybe she was just getting ahead of herself, and he genuinely didn't have an interest in her that way. Her heart sank at the thought. She was broken from her reverie by the ringing of her phone, her stomach twisting in hopes it was him calling. No one really, other than work, called her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Who's this?" A woman asked. Scully looked at her phone, seeing it was Mulder's number, and her heart sank further.

"Who's - Sarah?"

"Yeah...who is this?"

"It's, uh, Dana Scully."

"Oh crap, I must have grabbed Mulder's phone by mistake last night. I didn't even notice, I just dialed 1 on my speed dial." That piece of information made Scully smile, giving her a small sliver of hope back.

"Well, I can switch them back for you, if you want." She said a little too eagerly. Sarah smiled, she knew her assumptions about these two were correct.

"Yeah, sure. He probably needs his more than I need mine. Let's meet for coffee and you can just get mine back to me sometime next week."

Scully agreed and disconnected the call, biting her lip to mask the smirk growing. She was going to call Mulder, let him know what happened, but thought against it since it was still early. They met for coffee, Sarah handing over the phone, but not much detail about how her date went with Mulder. She could tell Scully was anxious for information, but decided to let Mulder fill her in on the details.

After their coffee meeting, Scully made her way to Mulder's apartment. She had only been there once, but she remembered exactly where it was. As she approached apartment 42, her nerves began to get the better of her, questioning if she was overstepping. She let out a deep breath and knocked on the door. She could hear him rustling around on the other side, her apprehensions rising.

"Scully? What are you doing here?" He was wearing a gray shirt, and sweatpants. His hair was disheveled, and he looked absolutely adorable to her.

"I believe this belongs to you. It seems you and Sarah switched phones. I just wanted to make sure you got it, in case anything happens with work this weekend." She blurted out, not as smoothly as it sounded in her head.

"Oh, thanks. I didn't even realize I didn't have my phone. Did you want to come in? I don't have much in the aspect of food, but I make a mean pot of coffee." He flashed her that goofy grin she's seen several times, and smiled with a slight nod.

"I didn't mean to intrude, I just wanted to make sure you got it back. I can take Sarah's phone back to her next week sometime."

"How did you get my phone back from her anyway?"

"Oh, we met for breakfast this morning. She called me from your phone, that's how we figured it out. She didn't realize it either." He paused, feeling like an idiot for how that must have looked in Scully's eyes. A woman calling her from his phone. At least she didn't seem too upset about it. He scoffed to himself mentally, why would she be? It's only him that holds deeper feelings for his sometimes work partner.

"Well I'm glad we figured it out before the feds started calling about another dead body."

"Yeah, that would have been an interesting call for her to wake up to." They smiled at each other, enjoying the casual conversation.

"How'd she call you from my phone? She didn't realize what number she dialed?" The sudden thought popping into his head.

"Oh, she - uh, just called the number 1 on her speed dial." Scully diverted her eyes anywhere but on him, taking a sip of her coffee to mask the pure amusement growing within her. His eyes went wide, he was totally caught.

"That's - uh, it was just easier when we were working on cases." She finally glanced up, nodding at his explanation. She suppressed the laugh building at the guilty look on his face.

"So how did your date go?"

"Pretty well, at least in my opinion. I'm sure Sarah had different things to say. There was definitely never a dull moment in the night."

"Yeah, that's not how I remember her. She was always very quiet. I guess she just recently had a coming of age moment or something." The slight scoff escaping her lips, not going unnoticed by Mulder. He kept his comments to himself. It made sense now, confirming that she did indeed try to set him up with someone less interesting.

"Well I'm glad you set it up for us, I had a good time." He gave her a small smile. She nodded, conceding to his interest in her friend. "Let me, uh, grab her phone for you."

He could sense her apprehensions, and didn't know what was causing them. They sucked at this whole talking thing, at least about anything important.

"Thanks, I - uh, I'll get this back to her sometime next week. Unless...you had plans to meet with her again?" She asked, standing by the door. Her lips were pursed with question, eyebrow arched in anticipation.

"Uh, nothing on the immediate agenda."

"Oh, okay." She suppressed the smirk on her lips. She was relieved to hear at least that much. "So, did you get the next card yet?"

"I have a meeting set for Monday."

"Ah, of course. Well, let me know if you need my assistance with that one as well."

"I'm sure I'll find a way to bug you about it." He flashed her that charming smirk, the one that made her stomach flip slightly. She smiled, color tingeing her cheeks. Bowing her head to hide her amusement with his statement, she made her brisk escape.

They were both walking on eggshells around each other, when it came to their feelings for the other. To Mulder, it seemed like Scully was simply there to help him finish his tasks. Like she was somehow roped into it from the beginning, and now felt obligated. For her, it was almost as if he wanted nothing to do with her unless it dealt with the cards. There were occasional glimpses of hope, but they always quickly faded.

When Monday rolled around, both were nervous about what the next card could mean for them. Scully waited anxiously at work, burying herself in a follow up autopsy on their latest victim. At least she knew she wouldn't have to find a reason to talk to him this week, since they were working a case together. She was brought out of her thoughts by the ringing of her phone, startling at the sound.

"Dr. Scully."

"Hey doc, it's me."

"Mm, could you be a little more specific? I know a lot of people who go by 'me.'"

"How about that charming, semi-insane, sometimes partner of yours?"

"Ah, yes. That rings a bell. What do you want Mulder?"

"I was hoping you'd join me for an exciting day at the crime scene of our latest victim. If you play your cards right, there might be a greasy diner lunch thrown in there."

"Well with an offer that tempting, how could I ever refuse? It might help anyway, there's nothing specific that I'm finding from this body. The crime scene might help me narrow a few things down." She let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll meet you by the main elevators in about 15 minutes."

She disconnected the call, finally admitting to herself that this autopsy wasn't going to show her anything more than she had already seen. She furrowed her brow as she realized that he didn't mention anything about his next card, but didn't seem too distraught about it. Maybe it was because it was another individual task, or maybe it had to do with Sarah again. That thought made her heart sink a little.

She made her way upstairs, meeting him just outside of the elevator. They made their way to the car, him rambling on about his newest theories for the case. She was so lost in her own mind that she couldn't concentrate without knowing.

"Did you get your new card this morning?"

"Wh - oh, yeah. I did." Short, no detail. That couldn't be good.

"Sooo…?"

"Uh, I don't know. They're getting more complex. I might just tap out."

"Mulder, that's a lot of money on the line. You can't just give up now."

"I'm not giving up, I just-" He let out a heavy sigh. There was something he wasn't telling her, that much she knew. "I don't want to be forced into something that I'm not ready for. This next card is definitely a push."

"Well, is there a time limit on it?"

"No, but I'm guessing she wants me to finish them before I'm dead." He scoffed.

"What was the card?"

"That's not important. I think we're here." He unbuckled his seatbelt, jumping out of the car.

He was avoiding something, that much she could sense, she just didn't know what. They were both playing this game, and she didn't know where they stood as far as friends, coworkers, whatever they were. If they were going to get anywhere, one of them needed to step up, she just hoped it didn't need to be her.

They examined the crime scene, her taking samples of anything specific that caught her eye. He was lost in creating his profile, both using work as a distraction from a conversation they should be having. Their drive back to the bureau was quiet, other than bouncing a few ideas off each other about their case. Maybe it was easiest this way, keeping it professional.

"I'm going to run these labs, hopefully I'll get something off them that'll help us."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll probably be hiding downstairs, going through everything. I just need the profile on this guy." He growled frustratingly. She stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Hey, we'll get this." He smiled, looking down at her small hand on his arm. Letting out a heavy sigh, he relaxed into her contact. She was magical to him, doing things to him no one else ever could. The next card popped into his head, and he instantly stiffened. She furrowed her brow at the change, all hope for them flying even further out the window than it already had.

She retreated to the morgue, hiding in her own sanctuary. The lab results came back, and something caught Scully's eye. There was a fiber found at the scene, that also matched one found on one of the other victims. She looked around for the other files, and realized that Mulder had all the paperwork. She ripped off her gloves, making her way down to him in the basement.

"Mulder...what the hell happened in here?" She entered the small office cautiously, taking in the sight of strewn papers everywhere. His mind was in a frenzy, the profile coming to him slowly.

"I - I think I almost have it Scully. You were right, he is young. I think he's maybe 16-18, white male, most definitely some kind of masculinity complex. I think he's brilliant, but that might be the only thing going for him. I just can't place his motive, or his connection to these girls. He was rejected in some way, but I can't tell where, how, why." He threw the papers on his desk, defeated.

"That's an ambitious start. Hopefully I can help more, I found a fiber at this last crime scene that matches a fiber found on the first victim. You have all my files, so I needed to confirm, but I think this might be the first step to nailing this guy."

"Yeah, uh, it's around here somewhere." He gave her a sheepish smile, noticing his messy office. She rolled her eyes as she began helping his sift through the papers.

They both were reorganizing the disheveled files, putting them with their respective folders. Scully noticed a small piece of paper sticking out from under one of the reports, and pulled it free out of sheer curiosity. It was the next card, the number 6 staring her in the face. She exhaled deeply, and turned it over, her breath catching in her throat.

'You had two options after the last card was completed. If you chose this one, then she must really be special to you. Take that next step, tell her how you feel. Show her, if words fail you.'

She didn't realize she stopped breathing until the faint sound of his voice startled her.

"Scully, did you find the file?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." She picked up the folder, dropping the card back on his desk. She licked her lips nervously, clearing her throat. "I'm just going to take this back to the morgue with me, and run an analysis on both fibers, confirm the match. I'll talk to you later."

And with that, she escaped out of the door, leaving no room for questions. He was puzzled by her quick change in demeanor, and glanced back at where she was standing. The edge of the card was sticking out from her rushed attempt at burying it, and he let out a heavy sigh.

She wasn't supposed to see this one. He wasn't even sure he was going to finish this task. Well, it was now or never. She needed to know.


	5. The Truth

Mulder slowly crept into the morgue, knowing immediately that this is where Scully would have retreated. He didn't have a plan, he just knew they finally needed to talk.

The card said he had two options, which he did. It was either continue onto another date with Sarah, or tell Scully how he feels if she was the reason he refused. He couldn't just continue pretending that he didn't care about her, and he wasn't interested in Sarah that way. She never really even stood a chance. He exhaled deeply and pushed the door open gently. He could see her buried in her work, avoiding her own emotions.

"Hey, Scully, can we talk?"

"About the case?"

"Uh, not necessarily."

"Then there's nothing to talk about. I'm really busy, Mulder. Can we do this another time?" She asked with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, sure." He turned, beginning to leave her alone. He was being a coward, but she clearly had no interest in the matter. That was why she was avoiding it, she didn't want it to be true...or so he thought.

In her mind, she assumed that he had chosen Sarah. That him moving so quickly with her was what made her 'special to him.' This wasn't what she had hoped for, and she wanted to be happy for him, but she couldn't face that just yet. She knew that dismissing him was treating him unfairly, but she wasn't ready to have the conversation that they needed.

"Maybe we can meet for a drink after work?" She said in a small voice, barely audible to him as he was halfway out the door. His head popped up excitedly, this was his chance.

"How about dinner and a drink? I'll come find you when it's about time to leave." He only hoped his voice didn't betray him, giving up how desperate he truly was for her. She nodded with a shy smile touching her lips.

The day dragged on for both of them, anticipation rising. He paced in front of the morgue door for a good 5 minutes before entering again. She was coming from the back after changing from her scrubs, and he couldn't help but smile at the unruly curls peering out from her loose ponytail. It was the little glimpses of her like this that he loved to see.

"Just about ready to go?" He finally spoke, causing her to startle.

"Jesus, Mulder. You scared me." She huffed out, fixing her hair.

"Sorry." He said with a small chuckle.

"I'm just finishing up, I need to drop off this report on my way out."

He nodded, following her up to the main floor. They were both nervous about the non-date that this may or may not be. This was ridiculous, they both felt it, but neither was ready to concede. Mulder didn't want to just lay it all out there until he knew there was a sliver of hope from her.

"Oh, good, you're both still here. There's been another murder." Collins said as he rushed by them towards the conference room. "Meeting, now."

They both looked at each other, apologetic smiles exchanged. She let out a heavy sigh, exhausted already from her long day, knowing it was nowhere near over. They settled themselves in the meeting room, the other agents already bustling around.

"This one is the most brutal we've had yet. He's escalating." Collins explained as he began displaying the crime scene photos.

"No, he's done. She was the final victim." Mulder said under his breath, completely lost in thought. The other agents turned their attention towards him, knowing he was doing what he does best.

"What makes you say that?"

"It's personal. She could have been the reason for the start of the whole thing, but he saved her for last. He's either going to kill himself next, or go insane after finally realizing what he's done. Now that it's over, he won't know how to handle it. He's on the edge, we need to find him, now." Mulder explained.

"Alright, this victim was on vacation with her family in Martha's Vineyard. He followed her there to execute his plan. Agent Mulder, Doctor Scully, I'm sending you both out there to the crime scene. Johnson and Lewis, you'll interview her family who just flew back this morning, and her friends. We need to find the connection between these victims. Ask about the church, look in her room for anything similar." Collins said as he dismissed the agents.

Mulder snuck to the front of the room before Scully could talk to him, and was curious about the conversation he was having with Collins. Not only was this day dragging on, but now she had to go out of town, with the very person she was trying to avoid. It wasn't fair to him, she knew that, but things didn't go according to plan, and she didn't know how to handle that.

"Looks like our flight is booked for tomorrow. Instead of them having to pay some ridiculous amount for a hotel out there, we're staying at my house. Uh, if that's okay with you." He said suddenly, realizing how the whole thing sounded as he said it. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, it was just the best plan he could come up with on short notice.

"We're staying over night?"

"Just tomorrow. We'll head out there, look over the crime scene, maybe take some witness statements, and then head back the following day."

"Oh, okay. That's fine." She said with a tightlipped smile. If this didn't force them to talk about things, he didn't know what would. If he admitted to himself, his suggestion to stay was more to benefit him than anything.

The next morning Mulder picked up Scully and they made their way to the airport. He was nervous about returning home, but with her by his side, it didn't seem so bad...even if they weren't exactly talking. There's very little that he disclosed to her about his life, and this little excursion was just going to open new questions that he wasn't sure he was ready to answer.

When they arrived to the Vineyard, she was in a world of awe, this being her first time there. She'd traveled enough in her childhood through moving as a Navy brat, but never had a chance to do her own vacationing. Mulder loved the look of pure bliss in her eyes, the water surrounding them as they made their way to his childhood home.

"This is your house? You seriously grew up here?" She asked in disbelief as they pulled up to the gravel driveway. It was the first real conversation they'd had since they were assigned to come here.

"Yeah, it's not exactly my style, but I got the house after the divorce. I rent it out as a summer home most of the time. I haven't really been back for a while." His voice drifted off into a memory. There was a softness in his eyes, a moment of vulnerability that she could see in him.

"Mulder, this house is incredible." She said as they entered, setting their things down.

"I pay people to take care of it throughout the year, at least I know I'm getting my money's worth." He huffed out a small laugh.

"Did, uh, Collins give us a list of witnesses in the area that we're supposed to be talking to as well?" She shifted gears, steering away from anything more personal. She still wasn't ready to face that, and him bringing her to stay at his childhood home felt intimate in a way she couldn't describe.

"Yeah, we can head down to the crime scene, local authorities know we are coming today. We'll have access to everything at the precinct, and you'll have full authority in the lab. I can do the interviews while you run whatever tests you may need."

"Oh, yeah okay. Let's just head over there and we can examine the crime scene, see what needs to be done. If your profile is right, it's going to be pretty horrific if she's the last one." She said in a small voice. She was hoping they'd at least be working more together being stuck here.

"Jesus, Mulder, what could possibly make someone do something this gruesome?" She was in shock by the crime scene, the reality of it hitting her harder than the initial pictures.

"I don't know. I hate these cases, the profiles always mess me up the most. I'm going to look around the area more, let me know if you find anything specific." He said as he left her there. He was being distant, and she didn't like it.

The day dragged slowly for both of them, working separately on their own part of the case. She was locked away in the lab, her nose buried in her work. It was her small piece of solace in this mess that she and Mulder had found themselves in.

"Hey." He said quietly as he walked in. She looked up and gave him a tightlipped smile, nodding at is presence.

"Hey. How'd the interviews go?"

"Dead end, from what I can tell. No one saw anything other than her leaving with some boy from a party. Her friends here said it happens all the time when her family is here for vacation, so they never questioned it."

"The crime scene seems like it's in a pretty open space, how is it possible that no one was able to see anything?"

"Around here, everyone's a little self obsessed. If it doesn't concern them, or profit them with some good gossip points, they turn a blind eye." He said with a shrug.

"They should put that in the welcome brochure." She said with a slight smirk. He chuckled, both relaxing for the first time in a few days.

"Hey, I believe I still owe you a dinner and a drink. What do you say we head back and enjoy at least some of our time here."

"Sure. I'd like that." The smirk on her lips growing. They were both walking around this cautiously, neither sure how the other felt. Mulder knew she read the card, even though she never admitted it. It was a tricky conversation to just bring up, given the nature of this specific task.

When they arrived back at the house, he didn't really have a plan. There were few places on the Vineyard, all nicer than anything he would have originally picked for them to have a casual evening together. Rosie popped into his head, and he knew just where to go. Her favorite restaurant, right on the water. He only hoped Scully loved it just as much.

"I, uh, don't know what you brought with you, but the place I have in mind is a little on the dressy side. Not anything too extravagant, but I guess-" He was stammering. She could see the nervousness in him, it was absolutely endearing.

"I think I have something. I'll be ready in about an hour?" She said quietly. She packed something extra, knowing what she's heard about Vineyard. It was on a whim, more wishful thinking than anything.

She retreated upstairs to the guest room that she was staying in. The deep green velvet dress peeping out of her bag made her smile, glad she brought this one. She had never warn it, and bought it while she was out shopping one day with her mother. It was nothing like she had in her closet, and that's what made her love it even more.

Making her way back downstairs, she didn't see Mulder anywhere. She retouched her lipstick in the downstairs mirror, waiting for him to appear. He slowly came in from the kitchen, smiling at the sight before him. He loved catching her in these off-guard moments. Before he could take another step, he realized what she was wearing, everything around him coming to a halt. The dress was smooth, and fitted, falling just above her knee. It silhouetted her small, fit figure perfectly. She had never looked more beautiful, he was awestruck.

"Do I look okay?" She asked timidly. The look in his eyes would tell her the answer to that question, but she was feeling suddenly modest under his intense gaze.

"You look, yeah. Perfect, you look beautiful. Uh, we should get going." He managed to get out. He felt like he was in high school all over again, awkward and unable to talk to beautiful girls. She smiled at him timidly before nodding and making her way outside.

When they arrived to the restaurant, she was immediately taken back by it's quaint beauty. It was small, and intimate, and she wondered what he was expressing by bringing her here. They were seated right away since it was a quiet time for the Vineyard, other than the occasional murder.

"Mulder, did you used to come here?" She was dazzled by the twinkling lights illuminating their dining setting.

"Uh yeah, sometimes. This was Rosie's favorite place. She loved the waterfront, and I just got dragged along for the company." He said with a sheepish smile.

"It's amazing. I can see why she favored it."

"Yeah, we-"

"Oh my god, Fox Mulder. I knew I recognized that face. It's been years!" A busty brunette squealed as she threw herself into his arms as he stood to greet her.

"Cecilia, it's great to see you. I didn't realize you still lived on the Vineyard."

"Well I don't, but I'm here vacationing for a few weeks. Some alone time without the husband and kids. You look great, are you seeing anyone?" She said in a sultry voice that made Scully roll her eyes. It didn't go unnoticed by Mulder, and it made him smile.

"I'm just here on a work case actually, this is my partner, Dana Scully." He said craftily avoiding the question. They made casual pleasantries, Cecilia finally leaving them alone.

"Sorry about that. I honestly didn't think I'd run into anyone here. I ran far enough away as soon as I could." He explained with an apologetic smile.

"It doesn't seem so bad, just those small town vibes. I wish I was in a place long enough for people to know my business."

"Trust me, it's better to be invisible." He said in a distant voice. There it was again, that vulnerability in his eyes.

"Can I ask-" Her voice was cut off by another woman appearing by their table. She mentally groaned, they were never going to have a proper conversation.

"Fox Mulder, right?" The perky waitress asked. He gave her a puzzled look, until realization set in. The card that suggested he bring her here before, was never chosen, but whatever Rosie had planned for it was never cancelled. His eyes grew wide, scared for whatever this could lead them to.

"Uh, yeah..."

"This is for you." She said with a smile, handing him a small, rectangular box. Now he was even more confused that before. If it was Rosie's style, she would have some immaculate plan laid out for him to make this date perfect. Nothing that he would have to ever find in a box.

He nodded as the waitress walked away, holding the box in his shaking hands. Catching Scully's gaze, she had a million questions in her eyes. He didn't know how to explain this one, considering he didn't know what he was holding. He gently removed the ribbon, lifting the lid to reveal and shiny silver chain. There was a small fox charm on the end, causing him to smile.

"I bought this for her, Rosie, when I left for college."

"That's really sweet, Mulder. Who knew you had a soft side." She teased. There was a small glimpse of something sticking out from under the box. She furrowed her brow in curiosity, reaching forward to grab it. "There's something on the bottom."

Before he could stop her, she pulled the note attached and brought it up to read. Her breath caught in her throat, any ounce of hope diminishing.

'She's special to you, give her the bracelet so you're always with her.'

Scully licked her lips anxiously, placing the note down gently. He had never been more terrified in his life. This wasn't helping the situation, forcing her into something he believed she didn't want.

"I think the note's for you. I'm actually exhausted from the day, do you mind if we take the food to go?" She said in a small voice.

"Yeah, sure." He conceded. He should have never roped her into this, making her obligated to be by his side through this. That's why he didn't want to complete this task, it was too complicated.

Scully's mind was whirling around, thinking she read something that should have been an intimate moment between him and Sarah. She felt like she was intruding on their new relationship.

The car ride back to the house was quiet, neither knowing how to start that conversation. She wanted to make a point to let him know that she wouldn't stand in the way of him and Sarah. That as much as it may kill her to lose this fight, she wouldn't make him feel guilty about it. She did set them up after all. Mulder was lost in his own thoughts on the matter, thinking that she just really didn't want anything to do with this anymore. He didn't want to constantly force her into these situations that was bringing them closer together. As much as he wanted to be with her, he didn't want her to reciprocate those sentiments off an obligation.

"Scully, I think we need to talk now." They barely made it through the front door, her stopping with her hand on the staircase, one foot on the first step.

"There's nothing to talk about, Mulder."

"No offense, but that's bullshit and you know it." That did it. She whipped her head around faster than he could even take another breath. There was a fire burning in her eyes.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I know you read the card, and I'm sorry."

"Wh - what are you apologizing for?" She didn't know if she was more confused, or just wanted him to admit about his growing relationship with Sarah.

"I just didn't mean to force all of this on you. I know you got roped in to whatever this mess is, and I didn't want you to feel like you had to complete my tasks. That's why I wasn't sure about finishing this card..."

"Wait, Mulder-"

"And when I had to choose, there really wasn't another option. I couldn't imagine just giving this up, whatever this is. I'm sorry that you got dragged into it, and I-" He paused, taking a deep breath. He looked up to see her eyes wide and blue. He froze, realizing he admitted way more than he planned to.

"Y - you chose me?"

"Well, yeah. My two options were to either continue on another date with Sarah or tell you how I feel about you."

"And, uh, how do you feel about me?"

"I don't want to force anything, that you don't want."

"Do you honestly think that I'm not my own person to walk away and not help you with this if I didn't want to?" She was annoyed, that much he could tell. He began to open his mouth, but thought better against it. She wasn't finished.

"Scully, I didn't mean-"

"And just so we're clear, maybe I want to be here with you. I'm not doing this because I feel bad for you, or obligated. If you remember correctly, I agreed to a simple date with you before I knew about the cards. I went because I wanted to. That's why I'm still here. I thought this card was referencing Sarah, and I just-"

He smiled at how flustered she was becoming. She was jealous, and he found it absolutely adorable. The thought never occurred to him, that she wanted to just be with him, no task necessary.

"I didn't know."

"You never asked. You just assumed and took on this unnecessary guilt." She said in a small voice as she stepped towards him. He inched his way to her as well, slowly closing the gap between them.

"What can I say? My self opinion is rather on the low side. I just would never imagine that someone as amazing as yourself would want anything to do with me."

"Your flattery is getting better." She teased, both inching closer. They could feel the other's body head, still just far enough away to not touch.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't just upfront about everything. I shouldn't have tried to hide the card from you."

"It, uh, said that you chose this option, because I was, uh..."

"Special to me."

"Right."

"You are. I don't know what this is, or isn't, but I would be lying if I said I didn't hope it would become something...more."

"More?" She asked, turning her face up to linger just below his. She could practically feel his breath on her lips.

"I think I'm failing the card, I'm not really good with words here."

"It also said that you could...show me." Her mouth turned up just slightly, her breath tickling his throat. He gulped, not really sure what to do in this moment. It took one look into her eyes for all his questions to be answered.

He leaned down, gently grazing his lips over hers in the softest of kisses. There was a small hum of pleasure that emitted from her throat, causing him to deepen the kiss. Her hands immediately went to cradle his face, his arms wrapping around her tiny waist. It was the perfect first kiss. Gentle, yet promising. He reluctantly pulled away to catch her gaze, almost as if he was asking if that was okay. She flashed him a coy smile, resting her hands on his chest.

"I think, I understand now." She said as the smirk began appearing on her face.

"If you needed more of a demonstration, I'd be happy to oblige." He leered at her. They weren't sure which barrier they just crossed, but they were enjoying this new step of intimacy between them.

"I will definitely take you up on that, soon." She patted his chest, stepping further out of their embrace. He sighed, nodding in understanding. "Goodnight, Mulder."

He watched her walk upstairs, smiling at whatever step this was for them. At least she didn't have any doubts about how he felt anymore, and now he knew that she reciprocated those feelings. If only she knew how truly enchanted by her he really was.

The next day they avoided talking about their kiss, keeping in casual conversations and discussing the case. After they conducted a few more interviews, they made their way back to the house to pack up their things and make their way to the airport.

"Mulder, don't forget this." Scully said distractedly as she grabbed the small box off the table by the front door.

"Oh, right. Uh, technically, I think I was supposed to give that to you." He smiled sheepishly at her.

"No, I couldn't. That's-"

"It was supposed to be yours, if I brought you here for our second date."

"You were supposed to bring me...here?"

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that." He exhaled deeply, not sure if she was ready to hear this. "In the card, it said that if I really liked you, then I should bring you here. That's why this was waiting for us, because there's not really an expiration date on the cards."

"Oh, okay." She said in a small voice. She had a million follow up questions, but somehow couldn't form words to ask them. She dipped her head and snuck past him to the car. He sighed and grabbed the box with a little more force than he intended. He knew she wasn't ready.

The trip home was filled with a heavy silence, even their own thoughts sounded loud in their heads. He was worried that he pushed her too soon, only finding solace in the fact that she was here because she wanted to be. She was fearful about how he truly felt, it was a tricky situation.

He pulled up outside of her apartment building, a sudden awkwardness and nervous energy surrounding them. He opened his mouth to apologize profusely, for what he didn't know, but it seemed like a good idea.

"Why didn't you take me there for our date?" It just came out, she couldn't stop it. It was her biggest question.

"I - I didn't know if it was too soon, and you said you had plans that weekend, and-"

"So, it wasn't because you didn't like me...like that?" God, this conversation was one she's sure she had in high school. He did that to her, made her completely off her game.

"That was definitely never the issue." He said as his lips began to curve up. Her self doubt was absolutely adorable.

"Okay. I guess, I was just wondering. I'll see you Monday." She said as she quickly escaped the car. She gave him a coy smile before disappearing into her building.

He didn't know what came over him, but he jumped out of his car and followed her into her apartment. He saw the door close, and waited a whole minute before knocking. She opened with a puzzled look on her face, a slight smile appearing on her lips in anticipation to what his presence meant.

"Did you forget something?" She asked as her eyebrow began to arch, smirk appearing on her lips.

"I - uh, yeah. I was wondering if you would join me for a date, next weekend. With just me, no cards. It doesn't have to be anything big, or it can be-" His hands were tucked in his pockets, toeing the floor in front of her apartment door nervously. She smiled, stepping forward to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I'd love to." She whispered, still lingering just before his face. He smiled and returned the kiss. It was gentle, hopeful. He nodded, and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the bracelet.

"This, is still for you." He said, handing it to her and leaving with no room for arguments. She held it in her hand, as if it was the most delicate flower. She looked down, smiling at whatever this new development was between them. They both were anxious about the next card, but if it was anything like this one, it could only bring them closer together, or so they hoped.


	6. The Confession

Another Monday rolled around and Mulder made his way to Scott's office with a smile on his face. He was nervous about whatever Rosie had in store for him next, but his small getaway with Scully overshadowed everything else. Scott greeted him with a smug smile, causing Mulder's face to dim slightly.

"I spoke with Dana this morning, we had a nice chat." Scott knew that he was instigating, but he couldn't resist.

"Did she, uh - what did she say?" He forgot about the whole 'provide proof' part of his tasks, mentally scolding himself for not thinking of how he was going to prove this one without her direct involvement.

"She just confirmed that you definitely completed the most recent card. You know, you could have told me you were interested in her from the beginning."

"I - I didn't know I was, yet." It was a blatant lie, they both knew it.

"Well anyway, I have your next card. I don't think Rosie counted on you to make it this far, so this next one is definitely a leap."

Mulder gulped, taking the card cautiously, as if it was a bomb ready to go off. Scott flashed him another smug grin, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He made his way back to his car, already terrified what this task was. He opened the envelope and stared at the number 7 in the familiar handwriting. He took a deep breath and turned it over.

'If you've made it this far, tell her you love her. This task is only completed if she says it back, so make sure you really mean it.'

His eyes went wide, Scott was right, this was definitely a leap. He barely kissed her for the first time a few days ago. He exhaled deeply, at least there's no expiration dates on these, he may never get there. Rosie was always one for the dramatics. Mix that with her hopeless romanticism, and he never stood a chance against these tasks. He knew Scully would ask, but he didn't want to scare her away so soon.

Their morning briefing was rather short, mostly because they were on double time to catch the kid who was doing these horrific acts. If Mulder's theory proved correct, he was done, so his trail would die. They needed to catch him now before it was too late.

"Did we get anything back from the samples you took at the crime scene?" He asked casually. He noticed a shadow of a frown pass over her face, almost as if she was disappointed. He mentally chastised himself, releasing a heavy sigh. He didn't mean to push her away, it's just what he did.

"Uh, nothing specific. The fiber we found on two of the other victims wasn't present here, but I'm still waiting on the blood droplet analysis. We never had any other blood at the other crime scenes though, so we don't have anything to compare it to." She explained professionally, slipping so far into her Dr. Scully persona, he could feel the chill.

"Okay, let me know if that turns anything up. I'm going to lock myself away for a bit and look through interviews and crime scene photos. There's more of a connection, I just need to find it without any distractions."

That did it, her eyebrow rose to new lengths. It was bad enough that he was acting as if they hadn't taken a step in their...whatever this was, but was he actually insinuating that she was distracting him from his work? She was stubborn, and instantly closed herself off to him based on the unknown miscommunication. She wasn't expecting any public displays of affection, especially at work, but a smile would have satisfied her. Her doubt was beginning to cloud everything else she felt for him, and they were getting so far off course.

"Sure. I'll let you know if I find anything. I won't bother you otherwise, wouldn't want to distract you more."

"No, Scully, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. I'll see you later, Mulder." A tight-lipped smile told him that whatever just happened was completely his fault. He already knew an apology was in his future. He took the defeat and made his way to the basement to wallow in his own self guilt.

After about an hour of the silence driving him insane, he found himself automatically pulled to the morgue. He peeped inside, seeing her huff and puff over her current autopsy. He definitely knew this was his fault, replaying everything that happened throughout the day in his head.

"Hey, mind if I bug you for a while?"

"I'm very busy, Mulder. Did you need help with anything pertaining to the case?"

"Uh, sure...I was hoping this autopsy would show anything particular that can help me get in this guy's head." He lied, partially. He was still having trouble with the profile, and it was aggravating him on a whole new level.

"He was aggressive, and it was personal, but that much we already knew. Other than that I don't have any lab reports back yet." She said nonchalantly, he could practically feel the chill.

"Scully, I'm sorry if-"

"Mulder, I just can't do this right now."

"Okay...later then?" She paused, scalpel still in her hand. She was being stubborn, that much she could admit, at least mentally to herself. Something was off about him, it finally occurring to her that it was Monday. He would have received the next card by now, and that thought made her even more worried.

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"I wasn't totally sure you'd agree, so I didn't think that far ahead." He smiled sheepishly at her, causing her lips to curl up slightly.

"Well you could come over, I can cook."

"Are there hidden culinary talents I haven't had the pleasure to discover yet?" He grinned charmingly as he stepped towards her. Her breath caught in her throat, never expecting him to be so forward at work. The mood had definitely shifted between them suddenly, and it was exhilarating her.

"Perhaps. Why don't you stop by around 7?" It was said in almost a breathy whisper as he stood just before her. She could practically feel his breath on her, subtly inhaling his scent. Their kiss was the only thing she's been able to think about all weekend. She was hopeful for more.

"Sounds perfect. See you then, Scully." He leaned in until their lips were lingering before each other, his mouth curling up in a smug grin before turning to leave. She huffed, letting out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

The rest of the day dragged, both of them anticipating tonight. He was worried about the new card, knowing she would ask about it. There was no explanation other than the truth, and he couldn't think of any excuses. His nerves got the best of him as he approached her door, suddenly wanting to run in the opposite direction. He took a deep breath, half wishing he took a few shots of something before making his way over here. When had he ever been this nervous around a woman before? When has a woman ever mattered this much?

He knocked, taking at least some kind of step towards actually attending this evening. When she opened the door, she flashed him that winning smile that made him melt in all the right places.

"Hey, come on in." She moved back, inviting him in. He nodded, stepping in to her apartment awkwardly, causing her to blush at his unease. "Would you like to take off your jacket? Stay a while..." Her tongue clicked as her eyebrow arched. She was amused by his nervousness.

"Sure." He finally relaxed enough to let his shoulders slump as he shrugged off his jacket. She led him into the kitchen, offering him a drink while she finished her dinner preparations.

"Everything is just about done." She said distractedly. Whatever she was making was heavenly to his senses.

"Not that I'm picky, considering I eat whatever is in my fridge at the time of hunger, but what do I have the pleasure of indulging in tonight?"

"Lasagna. It's my mother's recipe, so I'm hoping it all turned out okay."

"Scully, if tastes half as good as it smells, I will leave an even more satisfied man." She paused, biting back the smirk growing on her face. Hopefully her cooking wouldn't be the only thing satisfying him tonight.

They settled at the table, engaging in casual conversations, both loving the simplicity between them. It was killing her to not know about the next card, knowing it had to be pretty big if it made him react this way. She couldn't take it anymore.

"So, when are you going to tell me what's on the next card?" He choked as he took a drink of water. She was forward, and he didn't want to lie to her. He could see the honesty and genuine interest in her eyes.

"I - uh, it's complicated."

"That's what you said about the last one, and it turned out alright. At least, I thought so."

"No, I mean yes, it did." He stammered out. The last thing he needed was her doubting him again.

"So...?" She was playfully persistent, and it was adorable to him.

He took a deep breath, pulling the card out of his pocket. He placed it face down on the table, sliding it towards her. Honesty, that was his game here. She was in this just as much as he was. Her brow furrowed, puzzled by his mysteriousness. She picked up the card, curiosity rising. When she flipped it over, her eyes widened and she stopped breathing for a moment. He could see the emotions passing over her face, worried about the one she settled on. She licked her lips nervously, placing the card down as if she was conserving its fragility.

"That's an, um, interesting task." Her voice wavered, not knowing how she felt about it. She knew how she was slowly feeling about him, but until their kiss, doubted his feelings about her.

"It is, and I'm not taking it lightly." He wanted to assure her that if...when he said it, he would mean it. She avoided his eyes, this was a big step for both of them. "I'm also not rushing this one. I fully intend to woo you first." She looked up, smiling at the playful gleam in his eye.

"Do you know how to woo, Mulder?" She challenged, relaxing into the ease beginning to surround them.

"It's been a while, but I might still have a few tricks up my sleeves." He leered at her, causing color to tinge her cheeks. He loved having the ability to do that to her.

"Well I'm looking forward to the pursuit then." Eyebrow raised, she was challenging him. He would prove every ounce of his love to her, that would be his new personal mission.

Before either of them could say another word, Mulder's phone began to ring, disrupting their small moment. He sighed and gave her an apologetic smile before hearing the sound of hers ringing, too. They both gave each other a look, knowing this could only mean one thing.

"Mulder."

"Dr. Scully."

They both listened to their individual conversations, Mulder glancing towards Scully to silently ask if she was getting the same information as him. She nodded, answering his unspoken question. It was so easy for them, this wordless communication that they've adapted over their short time working together.

"They think they caught him." He said as he disconnected the call.

"Yeah, they said they followed a lead from your profile. Mulder, I thought you were having trouble with it?"

"I was. I also needed an excuse to see you." He gave her that adorable grin that made her want to kiss him again. "After we talked, it all came flowing to me. I can't explain it."

"Well, it looks like it worked out all around. Come on, g-man, we've gotta go to work." She said before disappearing into her room. When she emerged a few minutes later, she was in her usual pantsuit, looking as professional as ever. He smiled, knowing she wouldn't be able to go into work in her casual jeans and sweater. He loved both sides of her.

When they made it to Hoover building, they kept their distance, even though they arrived together. Settling themselves in the conference room, maintaining a professional demeanor despite their shared evening was rather difficult. He kept stealing side glances towards her, causing her to have to bite back the smirk forming from her knowing what he was doing. This is why they had rules against dating coworkers, she mused.

"I'm sure you've all heard, we think we caught the guy, but he's not talking. We're still wrapping some things up, and a special thanks to Agent Mulder for the profile that led us straight to him. Thanks to the rest of the team for the amazing work. As of right now, we've got him, so everyone's dismissed. We'll let you know if we need anything else." The Special Agent in Charge was practically mumbling his words, glad this was over.

Mulder disappeared down the hall before Scully could catch him, making her wonder what was running through his mind. She could instantly tell that something was off, but couldn't decipher what it was. She finally found him standing by where they were holding the suspect, a distant look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a hushed voice, coming to stand next to him.

"That's not him. It's not the right guy." His voice was completely void of emotion, a million things running through his mind.

"You're sure?" She didn't even question how he knew, it was just the way his mind worked. He wordlessly nodded, confirming her question.

"He's still out there, but this guy does know something."

"So what do we do now?"

"I doubt I can convince them that this is the wrong guy, I don't know." He sighed heavily. "I'll, uh, catch you later."

"Wait, where are you going? I know you're going to do something, I can see it in your eyes." She said in challenge, eyebrow raised. He both loved and hated that she could read him so easily.

"The less you know, the better. I'm just going to look into something, off a hunch. I'll call you." He said as he turned on his heels and left, leaving no opportunity for her questions. She huffed out an exhausted breath, this man drove her absolutely insane. She just hoped that he wasn't off to do something incredibly stupid.

Enough time had passed until the late evening approached, and her worry began to set in. Something was telling her to call him, but she didn't want to seem too anxious. Her nervousness won out.

"Mulder." He said in a low, breathy voice. If she wasn't so worried about him, it would have lit a fire in her.

"Where the hell are you? It's been hours since you left the bureau."

"I just followed a hunch. I'm, uh, surveilling one of the people that the suspect gave as his alibi. He fits the profile, and I really think this guy could be him."

"Mulder, you went in without backup? Tell me where you are."

"No, Scully, don't worry about it. I'm not doing anything other than sitting in my car, eating my weight in sunflower seeds, and listening to really bad music."

"If you don't tell me where you are, I'm going to have to find you by myself. You could just make this easier for both of us." He smiled at her persistence, knowing he wasn't going to get rid of her that easily. Not that he ever wanted to.

He finally conceded, giving his location. She arrived with snacks in tow, this being her first real stakeout.

"Any luck?" She asked as she slid into the passenger seat.

"Other than a few teens sneaking out, and back in, some people walking their dog, and I think Mr. Gonzalez is getting very close to the nanny, if you know what I mean."

"Well, I'd say your investigative skills are really getting their work in here."

"I know this seems like a waste of time, but I really think this is the kid, Scully." He said with a heavy sigh.

"I don't doubt that's what you believe, Mulder." She reached for his hand, grasping onto it in a comforting gesture. He glanced down at their hands, smiling. He quickly sobered, remembering that before this chaos, they were somewhat on a date.

"So, as far as dates go, how would you rate this one?"

"Is this a date?" She asked, eyebrow arching, lips pursing.

"Well, I like to think that it was along those lines before we got called into work."

"And here I thought you were just using me for my hidden culinary skills."

"That, too. Don't mistake my intentions here." He teased. She paused, replaying the words in her head. What exactly were his intentions, given the new task.

"Is this part of the wooing?"

"It's not what I had in mind, but I am a little rusty. How am I doing?" She chuckled, shaking her head at him.

There was a loud noise that broke them from their moment, causing them both to jump out of the car. They ran towards the small park nearby, following the sound.

"Scully, go back to the car. This is too dangerous."

"Like hell. May I remind you that you're the one out here, without backup, tracking down a potentially dangerous suspect!"

"You're not armed, I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can handle myself just fine, Mulder."

Before she could say another word, they heard a muffled, high pitched scream come from somewhere in the small forest behind the park. They crept up to the source stealthily, hearing a grunting sound and the small sobs emitting from behind the trees. They looked at each other, exchanging a plan with their eyes.

"FBI, freeze!" He aimed the gun towards where he could see a shadow, the exact person he was tracking staring back at him with wide eyes, a feral look in shining through.

He began to run, while Scully attended to the newest victim. He was going over the edge, attacking people just because he needed the feeling again. Mulder was right, they needed to catch him right away. She was muttering reassuring sentiments to the girl, giving her her own jacket to keep her modesty. She could hear Mulder yelling, not wanting to pull the trigger, but catch him safely. He was still chasing him through the dark trees, the suspect having an advantage since this was his territory. She escorted the girl back to the car, retrieving her phone to call for backup. Before she could finish dialing, she heard Mulder's voice approaching nearer.

"Scully! Watch out!" And with that, everything went black for her.

Mulder's heart sank at the sight of her head being bashed into the car window, shattering the glass and leaving her bleeding from her skull as she crumpled to the ground. The young girl in the backseat screamed and began to sob uncontrollably, witnessing the sight before her. His anger got the best of him as he picked up speed and rammed into the suspect, pinning him between his own body and the car. He threw him on the hood, wanting to beat the life out of him for what he potentially just did to Scully. He slapped the cuffs on him, throwing him to the ground before calling 911 himself.

He could hear the sirens coming from a distance, dropping to his knees to cradle Scully's head in his lap. She was still breathing, consciousness coming in and out.

"Scully, I need you to stay with me. I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have been out here. I'm so sorry." He began to say repeatedly, the guilt settling in nicely. He stroked her hair gently, willing her to be okay.

When the ambulance arrived, he wanted to go with her, but knew he had to finish his mess up here. He briefed the officers and agents that showed up, giving as minimal information as he could before bolting out of there himself.

Slowly pushing the door open to her room, he could feel the new wave of guilt washing over him as he saw her laying in that hospital bed. He knew this was his fault, and she was too loyal to let him go off on another lead alone. He settled himself in the chair beside her bed, grasping onto her limp hand.

"God, I never wanted you to get hurt. You shouldn't have been there, and this is all my fault." He took a deep breath, knowing this was a safe place for him to talk, considering she was down for the count. "The doctors said they don't know if the damage affected your memory in any way. They won't be able to determine that until you wake up. If you don't remember me, I think I'll be most disappointed that I never got to finish this current task. I - I do love you, Scully. I know everything moved quickly with us, but it feels right to say. Please wake up, so I have the chance to prove that to you."

He bit back his own emotions, feeling foolish for talking to her as if she could hear him. He's seen it done in enough movies, maybe there was something to it. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it with the softest of grazes.

Scully roused sometime the next day with a killer headache. Everything around her was fuzzy and disoriented, not remembering much of what happened the day before. She groaned as she brought her hand to her head, wincing at the sudden movement.

"Honey, how are you feeling?" Her mother's voice filled her ears, making her even more confused.

"My head is killing me." Her voice was hoarse, it being the first time she's spoken in a day.

"Do you remember what happened?" Maggie asked cautiously, knowing what the doctor had said about the possibility of her memory being wiped.

Scully wracked her brain, recalling everything that occurred yesterday. Her eyes went wide, the biggest question popping into her head immediately.

"Mulder." She said in a hushed whisper. Her mother smiled, knowing that must be the man who was professing his love for her daughter the night before. He didn't know she had returned to the room, listening in when she shouldn't have.

"He stopped by last night, and sometime this morning. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him, but I've seen him around." Maggie reassured with a gleam in her eye. Scully rolled her own eyes, wincing at the pain of the movement.

The rest of the morning went by in a haze, Scully wanting to see Mulder, find out what happened. It was killing her, but she was appeasing her mother by resting and not worrying about work. Mulder popped his head in sometime around lunch, stopping in his tracks upon seeing her mother in the very spot he spilled his heart the night before.

"Come on in." Maggie motioned with a warm smile as she saw him. He was out of Scully's eye range, so she was puzzled by who her mother was talking to.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just stopping by to see how you were doing." He said with a sheepish smile. Scully's eyes lit up at the sight of him, not going unnoticed by her mother. They smiled at each other coyly, before he glanced between her and Maggie. She caught onto the silent question again, nodding in understanding.

"Mom, this is Fox Mulder. Can you give us a minute?" She asked, licking her lips nervously. Maggie introduced herself, Mulder taking her hand in acquaintance. When she left the room, he stood at the end of her bed with his hands in his pocket, suddenly nervous to talk to her.

"Scully, I'm sorry." He blurted without thinking. He had said it multiple times during her state of unconsciousness, but never when she was awake to hear him mean it.

"Mulder, this wasn't your fault."

"You should have never been out there. If I wasn't so selfish and stupid, you wouldn't have had to follow me."

"Hey, I chose to be there with you. None of this was anything you could have prevented. They never did tell me what happened, after everything went a little hazy for me." She smiled at him, trying to ease the mood. She knew he felt guilty, she could see it all over his face.

"I got the guy, the girl was saved, pretty basic operation." He shrugged, knowing that full credit was going to his hunch and their teamwork. He never was one for positive reinforcement.

"Well then I'd say it was pretty successful, minor injuries and all."

"Scully, you could have been seriously hurt. I'm just so sorry, I never meant for this to happen to you."

"Mulder, I'm fine. I'm gonna have a pretty nasty scar for a little, but that'll heal." She said with a softness that he couldn't refuse. She reached out for his hand, him grabbing onto it in an instant. He was still hesitant, about their growing relationship, but she made it that much easier to let himself fall even more in love with her.

"What, uh, do you remember?" He asked cautiously.

She was hopped up on numerous drugs, but she still was having flashes of him being there the night before, after she was brought into the hospital. She thought she dreamt it, her mother only confirming his presence. If she allowed herself to believe everything she thought was a memory, she could still hear him tell her that he loved her.

"Not much. After he came up from behind me, it's a little fuzzy. I keep having flashes of moments, but can't seem to string anything together." She wanted him to say it again, hoping he would if she didn't remember now.

"Good, I'm sure it'll all come back to you eventually." He said with a tight-lipped smile. She wanted to roll her eyes at him, this was going to be more difficult than she thought. "I should get back to work, I have some reports to finish, and things to clean up on this case. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I'll call you later."

She frowned slightly as he walked out the door, hoping for more to happen between them. She wanted him to make the move, and take that step, wanting reassurance of how he feels.

Throughout the duration of the next few days, he had only called, never stopping by. She knew the guilt was crippling him, she could hear it in his voice every time they talked. Her mother helped her back to her apartment, getting her settled.

"I could stay, Dana. I just don't want you to be alone, they said it could be a few days before you're fully back on your feet." Maggie said, exasperated with her stubborn daughter.

"I'll be fine, mom. I already told you. I'm just going to be resting until I'm cleared for work again." She said with a heavy sigh. They both knew that was a bold-faced lie, considering how jittery she's been by Mulder's lack of presence.

As soon as her mother left, she showered and changed, relieved to be out of the hospital and back in the comfort of her own clothes. She felt refreshed, and more awake than ever. It took about an hour of her trying to sort through her feelings before hopping in a cab, and making her way to his apartment.

"Scully?" He asked puzzled to see her standing there. He moved to the side to allow her entrance, her still not saying anything. "You should be in the hospital, or or resting."

She ignored him, taking in her surroundings of his apartment. He kept talking, all of it not processing in her mind. Finally, she turned, capturing his lips with hers. He froze, it taking only a few seconds before he realized what was happening. She wrapped her arms around his neck, him melding them together by pulling her into him by her waist. Their first kiss was the only thing either of them had thought about since it happened, wanting desperately to repeat it. He finally reluctantly separated from her, staring at her with a confused expression.

"I really hope it doesn't take another near death experience for you to tell me you love me again." She said in a breathy whisper, composing herself from their kiss. His hands involuntarily tightened on her hips in response, eyes widening slightly.

She smiled at his nervousness, giving him another chaste kiss before leaving him standing there in a complete daze. The smirk growing on her lips as she left his apartment would show how satisfied she was with herself.

When he finally managed to snap out of moment of bliss, he turned just as she was exiting the door, stopping her.

"Wait, Scully...what-" He stammered out, gently grabbing her elbow to stop her movements. She bit her lip hoping to suppress her amused grin.

"I'm still looking forward to the wooing, Mulder."


	7. The Courtship

She wanted to be wooed, so wooing is exactly what she would get. He woke up early, picking up flowers and breakfast on his way to her apartment. She was put on rest, so he knew she would be home. The gentle knocking startled her at first, not expecting any visitors. She smiled when she looked through the peephole, him grinning back at her, nervousness radiating from him. So this was Mulder romanticizing her, she was interested to see what he had planned.

"Good morning, Mulder." She opened the door with an amused smirk on her face. He smiled back at her, sticking his hand with the flowers out in front of her face. She accepted them, hiding her colored cheeks as she inhaled their scent.

"I just thought since you were stuck inside, I'd bring breakfast to you." He said sincerely, holding up the food in his other hand. She nodded and moved to the side, allowing his entrance.

"Thank you, and thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful."

"I wasn't sure which ones were your favorite, so I just kind of got an assortment." He was nervous, and it was absolutely adorable to her.

"They're perfect. Is this part of your wooing?" She asked playfully, eyebrow arching in question as she placed the flowers in a vase on her kitchen table.

"Well, it's not my best move, but I figured it's at least a start. You're really making me work here, Scully." He pouted.

"You'll score some brownie points if there's something chocolate in that bag." She eyed the obvious pastry bag sitting on her coffee table in front of the couch. He smiled, leaning forward to hand the bag to her. When she opened it, the heavenly aroma of melted chocolate hit her senses, and she spied the chocolate croissant with her name all over it.

"So how am I doing?" He asked playfully.

"Your chivalry is definitely improving." She teased, settling on the couch next to him. They had only really kissed a few times, everything was still new to them, but they enjoyed this closeness.

The day was filled with watching old movies, and him finding small ways to touch her. Whether is was a brush of his hand on her thigh, or pretending to reach over her for his water glass on the table in front of them. She was amused, she'd give him that much. The angst was slowly killing her though, every little touch sending shivers through her body. It was almost like she craved it now that she's tasted it, even as brief a time it was.

"So I was thinking…" He began to say smoothly.

"Well that's never a good thing."

"Ha ha, Scully. No, I was just thinking that I owe you a date this weekend."

"Ah, yes, I believe that was previously agreed upon."

"But I don't want you to be too tired or anything."

"What kind of date did you originally have planned, Mulder?" A nervous chuckle escaping her lips.

"You'll have to find out another time." He leered at her, causing color to rise to her cheeks. He smiled, loving the ability to do that to her. "Maybe we can just go somewhere nice for dinner? If you're feeling up to it."

"That sounds great." She bit her lip, a small smile curving on her mouth.

"I'm, uh, going to head home for a bit then to set everything up, and I'll be back to get you around 7?"

"I'll be ready. Is there a dress code?"

"Oh, right. Um, something nice. Not too dressy, but nice. And bring a light jacket." She gave him a puzzled look, huffing out a small laugh. She had no idea what she was in for, but if Mulder was pulling out all the stops, she knew to expect something extraordinary. She was ready to complete the task, but thought she'd enjoy this just a little while longer.

When it was time for him to pick her up, she was feeling nervous. She wore an off the shoulder fitted dress that had a sweetheart top, showing an ample amount of cleavage. It was a deep purple, and something she's only worn once. It had a great reaction then, she was hoping for the same tonight. She knew she picked the perfect dress when his eyes nearly fell out of his head at first sight of her. He visibly gulped, at a complete loss for words.

"Do I look okay?"

"Scully, I'm trying to come up with something very gentlemanly to say, but I can't think." He stammered, eyes raking her over. "You look beautiful." He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. She was surprised at first, but sighed and relaxed into the quick embrace. They didn't do that enough, both of them thought. He extended his arm to her, causing her to smile and accept as he led her down to the car.

She kept trying to watch where they were heading, find any clue as to where he was taking her. He kept trying to distract her with simple conversation, knowing it was killing her to be in the dark about their destination. He drove around and took extra streets, just for fun.

"We're here." He finally said, pulling up near the National Harbor docks. There was a nice, older gentleman waiting to escort them when they arrived. Her brow furrowed, eyes wide with excitement. He smiled as he caught her gaze, leaning down for another quick kiss.

"We're eating here?" She asked astonished. The harbor was beautiful at night, all the boats lit up and twinkling lights illuminated the area.

"No, we are eating there." He pointed to a yacht at the end of the docks. Her eyes danced with delight, and he loved her even more in this candid moment.

They made their way to the yacht, him pulling out the chair for her to sit at their intimate table set up on the deck. A dinner on the water, under the stars, just the two of them. Mulder really was going all out. A waiter appeared and poured them glasses of wine, bringing them a light salad to start.

"Mulder, this is - I don't even have words for this. You really didn't have to do all of this. When I said I was looking forward to the wooing, I didn't mean -" She paused, gesturing to their surroundings. She was truly taken back by his efforts, not expecting anything this extravagant. If she were being honest, she pegged him for a few dates and respectable dinners. Maybe a few more steps in their physical relationship, but this was beyond her wildest dreams.

"I'm feeling underestimated. I told you, I have a few tricks up my sleeve." He grinned at her, causing her to chuckle. He definitely was surprising her more by the minute.

"Well, our first date was at a small cafe, so I'd say you're doing better."

"To be fair, I thought I was taking a huge chance even asking you then. You're way out of my league."

"Ah, I see the flattery has improved, too." They smiled at each other, eyes dancing with sparks of new romance. If he kept this up, he'd complete the task by the end of the weekend.

After eating and enjoying the other's company, they took their wine and walked to the boat railing. She inhaled the water, the look of pure bliss bestowed on her face. That's the exact look he was hoping to see all night. He smiled, watching her as she watched the water sway.

"You're staring, Mulder."

"You're nice to stare at."

"I love the water. I think growing up a Navy brat gave me a whole different kind of appreciation for it."

"I know. You had the same look on your face when we were in Martha's Vineyard. I wanted to find another excuse to see you like this again, that's what made me think of this."

"You - you've been planning to bring me here since then? But we weren't even…" Her thoughts bouncing around sporadically. Could he really already be that in love with her? Was he then, too?

She wasn't thinking anymore, letting the sounds of the water take over her mind and calm her mood. She turned and stepped into his arms, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers. It was soft at first, both of them just becoming acquainted with the other. His tongue flickered against her lower lip, causing her to open her mouth to him willingly. As soon as her tongue ran itself on the roof of his mouth, he moaned and leaned her against the railing, closing any space between them. Their breathing became shallow and heavy, both not wanting to come up for air yet. They definitely haven't done this enough.

He reluctantly pulled away from her, seeing her eyes flutter open. His mouth lingered above hers, planting feather soft pecks on her lips. He smiled at her state of complete ecstasy. He felt the same way.

"So, how am I doing now?" He finally spoke, breaking the spell. She chuckled, her breath tickling his throat as they stayed in their embrace.

"I'd say you're definitely earning this task."

"It's a shame, I had so much more planned." He teased.

"I said you were earning it, I'm going to milk this for all I can." She playfully glared at him. They both loved how easy it was between them.

"Fair enough." He kissed her again, neither wanting to leave from this moment.

When they were walking along the docks back to the car, the boat lights twinkled back at them. It was the perfect setting, and everything in him wanted to tell her he loved her again, this time while she was fully conscious to hear it. He just needed to make sure she would say it back. Not to complete his task, but for his own self assurance.

"So what did you originally have planned, without the interruption of a head injury?"

"Well, the boat was going to leave the docks, but I didn't want you to be too far away if any side effects began. My stomach thanks the change of plans as well." He smiled sheepishly at her.

"Ah, strong sea legs?" She playfully smirked as he narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to chuckle. God, he loved that sound. "Tonight was amazing."

"I'm glad you're enjoying the pursuit. I am going to have to up my game though, I set the the bar pretty high tonight."

"Well, lucky for you, I don't think you'll have too much more time to think of new things. Although, I am thoroughly anticipating the rest of this courtship." She teased, a gleam in her eyes. He nodded and smiled at the implication of her words.

When they arrived back at her apartment, he walked her to the door, nothing more intentional to happen. This was the gentlemanly thing to do, and he was trying to woo her. She leaned her back against the door, teasing him with her body language. Her eyes danced with arousal and anticipation.

"Tonight was breathtaking, thank you, Mulder." She played with the collar on his jacket as he leaned in closer to her.

"This is only the beginning, so I hope you're fully prepared for more wooing." He leered at her, mouth lingering above hers. She smiled, reaching up to meet his lips with hers.

Their breathing became heavy and there were indistinct moans of pleasure emitting from both of the back of their throats. Their tongues were flickering against the other's, lips gliding smoothly together. She was pushed against the door, completely covered with his body. She began to get light headed, a mix of complete bliss and her recovering head injury. Reluctantly pulling away, a small smile appeared on her face.

"I would invite you inside, but I don't know how much more I can handle. We'll have to wait until I'm fully recovered for that." She said as her eyes danced at him. He visibly gulped at her implication, nodding the only action he could manage. With one more parting kiss, she escaped inside, leaving him standing there in a daze.

Mulder made his way to work following his blissful weekend, a skip in his step if anyone paid close enough attention. There was a meeting scheduled first thing to finalize the details of the case. He was startled when the back of a familiar red head stared back at him. He leaned in close to her ear, whispering in attempt to catch her off guard.

"You should be resting." She smiled, not flinching. She sensed his presence as soon as he walked in.

"I've been cleared for desk duty. Plus, I was there for the final actions of this case." He smiled at her persistence, knowing she was stubborn.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm actually pretty good, rested. A few headaches, but nothing I can't manage."

The other agents in the room looked upon these two, suspecting grins on their faces. It's as if Mulder and Scully had completely forgotten they had an audience. As soon as the Agent in Charge began to speak, they both turned their attention to the front of the room. Mulder gave a tight-lipped smile when they praised him for the capture, Scully slightly gripping his knee in response. This was going to be interesting if they kept working together on cases.

They were dismissed, both realizing that their working together, at least for this case, was over.

"So, it was a pleasure working with you on another case, Agent Mulder." She said, extending her hand. The other agents found it amusing at the casual nature they were trying to play.

"The pleasure was all mine, Dr. Scully." He took her hand, slipping a note inside. She gave him a puzzled look, almost as if he suspected this moment to happen. Of course he did, he was always one step ahead of her.

'Meet me in the basement for lunch.'

She smiled at the note, anticipating more of Mulder's wooing. This was becoming her favorite task yet.

As she made her way downstairs, she began to feel exhausted and lightheaded. She didn't know if she was pushing herself too hard, but being on rest was going to drive her crazy. She took a deep breath as soon as the elevator dinged, plastering a smile on her face, suppressing her unease.

"You went from a dinner on a yacht to this?" She teased, seeing the small, intimate table set up in the middle of the room. There was a salad and sandwiches separated on two plates for them. He playfully glared at her, causing the small chuckle to escape her lips.

"Tease all you want, Scully, but these happen to be some of the best made sandwiches in DC." He said with a confident nod.

"Well, I thank you for all your hard work then. This looks great, Mulder. Thank you."

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, suddenly worried by her paled complexion and clammy skin. She winced, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"I think I overdid my first day back. It's just all catching up with me." She gave him a shy smile. He began to nod in understanding, carefully packing up their lunch. She furrowed her brow in confusion, stomach growling in protest of his actions. "What are you doing with my lunch?"

"We are just going to change venues." He said nonchalantly, a lightness in his voice.

"But I'm hungry now, why are we going somewhere else?" She pouted, watching him put the food back in the bag. She was too tired to argue as he began to escort her out of the office, his hand resting on her lower back.

When they arrived outside of her apartment, she sighed in defeat. She felt exhausted, and there was no denying it. He escorted her and the food upstairs, letting her get settled on the couch as he situated the food in front of them. She gave him a genuine smile, this side of him was something she could get used to.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling good?" His tone was accusatory.

"I was fine, until I was in the elevator. I think the movement with the exhaustion just hit me all at once. Sorry for ruining your lunch."

"This lunch was for you, it's not ruined, we just had to make some quick readjustments." He shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Sorry it's not as extravagant as our last date."

"No, it's perfect though. Thank you." She leaned forward, a smile playing on her lips. She placed a chaste kiss on his mouth, cradling his cheek in her soft hands. She's never had someone cater so much to her needs, it was overwhelming, but she welcomed it.

When she leaned back, she could see the pure adoration radiating from his eyes. The look on his face was blissful, loving, warm. Her breath caught in her throat by the way he was looking at her, could he honestly feel that strongly for her? Of course he does, because she was beginning to feel the same way about him. She opened her mouth to tell him just that, interrupted by the shrill of a phone. They both sighed, anticipating the moment to follow.

"Mulder." She watched as he nodded at the words that were being spoken to him. There was no doubt about what was happening, he was getting called in to work. The slight frown appeared on her face, she knew the job, she would never hold that against him.

"You have to go?"

"They just want me to finalize some things on my end. I can be there and back in an hour, two tops." He began to say frantically. Every time they began to move in a more positive direction, there was always something there to stop them.

"Take your time, I'm probably going to try to rest for a bit."

"I'll call you when I'm done." He nodded, leaning forward to kiss her, as if it was the simplest, most comfortable gesture between them. He could definitely get used to that more often. She smiled at his effortless move, a simple kiss goodbye meant the world to both of them.

After Mulder's meeting, he was in a different mood. He got his ass chewed out for going in without back up, endangering a fellow bureau employee. There was a lot more questioning about why Dr. Scully was there with him in the first place. Despite the grueling two hours he spent in the impromptu interrogation, the thought of seeing Scully again made him smile.

"Mm...Scully." Her voice was deeper, husky from sleep. If she wasn't feeling lightheaded every time she exerted too much energy, he'd be all over her in an instant.

"Good morning, sunshine. How you feeling?"

"I'm just waking up. The headache is thankfully gone. How'd your meeting go?"

"Definitely not as I expected. I'm getting ready to leave right now, do you want me to bring some dinner?"

"You're spoiling me, Mulder."

"This is all part of the wooing process, Scully. The charm is all I've got going for me."

"Well, it does seem to be working." He could hear the playfulness in her voice, loving this side of her.

When he arrived back to her apartment, she had a spring in her step. There was a flirtatious gleam in her eye that made him want to devour her right then and there. After they ate dinner, they were just watching movies on her couch, sitting comfortably beside one another. She kept inching herself closer, cuddling into his side. Wishful thinking would tell him that she was making implications on what was going to happen tonight, his lack of self-confidence would tell him she was just thanking him for being so considerate.

She was so melded into him, her thigh curled up, resting on his. She began making lazy circles with her index finger on his toned torso...she was definitely feeling better. He began to worry that maybe this was just in response to her medication, had she taken it today? He didn't want to deny her small notions, but wanted to make sure she was ready and fully willing to take that next step between them.

"Whatcha doin' there, Scully?" He asked playfully, keeping his gaze focused ahead on the television set. He could feel her head shifting up to look at him.

"Nothing, just...relaxing." Her tone was light, at ease as her index finger began circling its way further down.

"Uh, Scully, if you keep that up, we're going to have a different kind of problem." She giggled, catching his implications. He loved that sound. Her finger ran over where she could feel the waistband of his boxers, stroking it gingerly. He shifted slightly, a small groan escaping his lips. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"You're not playing fair."

"I'm not doing anything." She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes, attempting to feign innocence. That mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"Like hell you're not." He growled, gripping onto her, and flipping them so that he was laying on top of her. In better thought, the quick motion might have caused her head to spin, but he was losing his will power with every stroke of her finger.

She yelped, giggling at the sudden movement. Her head was swimming, but in the best way possible. She was absolutely intoxicated by this man, her adoration for him growing with every little gesture he made for her. He was lingering above her, their lips inches apart. Her eyes had that gleam in them, that look that he absolutely loved.

He leaned down and kissed her, fiercely, passionately. She scooted herself so that she was further under him, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him even closer into her. Their lips were gliding together, mouths opening willingly, tongues dueling for control. There was a small moan of arousal that emitted from her throat, causing a certain bulge to grow tighter in his pants. He reluctantly pulled away from her, causing her to chase his mouth with her own. He chuckled, allowing a few small pecks before pulling further away. She pouted slightly, asking the silent question with her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" She wanted to roll her eyes at how overprotective he was being. It also made her want to kiss him again for being so caring.

"I'm fine, Mulder. I'm feeling much better." She said as she began to play with the buttons on his shirt.

"Yeah, I can tell." He teased, causing her to blush slightly. "I just, don't want you to do too much too soon."

She nodded, licking her lips as she was in deep thought. She wanted this, but she knew he was right. Her want for him overpowered her better judgement.

"We can...go slow?" She asked in a small voice, not meeting his eyes. Her fingers were still playing with the buttons on his shirt, craftily undoing them.

"Only if you're sure, Scully. I don't want-" He paused by the look in her eyes. She was sure. He nodded, sitting up and offering his hand to lead her to the bedroom. She bit her lip in anticipation, the arousal growing inside of her.

Once in the room, he let her take the lead. She ran her hands up his torso, pushing the shirt off his shoulders gingerly. Just her touch was causing him to lose his mind. If nothing else happened that night, he already felt like a winner. She lifted the shirt up over her body, revealing a black, lace bra. She wanted this more than he thought, she had prepared. He placed his hands on her waist, placing small kisses from the base of her neck, down to the top of her breasts. Her breath hitched at his touch, running her hands through his hair as his lips painted her body.

They managed to make it to her bed, passionate kisses exchanged as his body covered hers. As far as clothing went, they hadn't made much progress. He pulled back, staring down at her with such love in his gaze. She searched those hazel eyes, knowing this was right.

"Scully, you're sure?" She smiled, leaning up to capture his lips again.

"Make love to me, Mulder." Her lips tickling his ear, causing a new sensation to run through him. She reached down, cupping him through his pants. That was all the answer he needed.

"If you keep that up, this will be over before we even get started." He growled into her mouth, causing her to chuckle at his eagerness.

He gently removed her bra, followed by her pants, and then her matching lacy underwear. His own clothes magically made their way off as well, she was sneaky, he liked that. Once they were both sans clothes, he situated himself in the valley between her legs, kissing her as his hand made its own journey south. He could feel her slickness, hot and ready for him. She moaned into his mouth as he dipped two fingers into her, taking his time. Her folds began to swell, he knew she was close. The sensations running through her body were overpowering, feeling herself reaching that edge. His mouth moved to capture one of her hardened nipples, causing her to spasm around him. He let her ride out her orgasm, removing his fingers slowly, planting feather soft kisses on her plump, swollen lips.

"My god, Mulder..." She breathed, catching her bearings. "That was - I might need a minute." He smiled, nodding in understanding. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, trailing down to her chest.

"We can stop." He mumbled into her breast. She mustered enough energy to nudge him to lay on his back and crawl on top of him. He hissed as his erected cock teased at her center. "I thought you said you needed a minute." He said through gritted teeth. He was about to lose it in about 2 seconds if she didn't stop her slow, grinding movements against him.

"I'm feeling just fine." She said in a sultry, teasing voice. She could see what her actions were doing to him, she loved having this effect. She leaned back on his legs, just enough to situate herself on him, slowly at first. After letting herself adjust, her movements picked up again, the sensation between the two of them was absolute ecstasy. She leaned forward, her breasts bouncing against his chest. He wasn't going to last like this.

He flipped them again, taking it slowly, moving in and out of her. She had never felt this loved before, had this intimate of a connection with someone during sex. She'd had it fast, drunk, and rather boring, but this...this was slow, sensual. It was like she could feel every ounce of love Mulder had being poured into her with his gentle touches and thoughtful rhythm. She could feel herself building again, not just from his movements, but from their emotional connection. It went deeper than just what was on the surface. He picked up the pace, sensing that she was close by the way her back began to arch.

"I love you, Scully." He whispered into her ear, kissing the tender spot on her neck. That's all she needed to completely let herself go, never experiencing something even close to that in her life. A few more thrusts, and he followed, burying his face in her neck, losing himself in her in every way possible.

He rolled himself off her, gathering her naked form in his arms and cuddling her into his side. Their breathing was in tandem, coming down from their intimate high. He could feel her smiling against his chest where her head was resting, causing him to follow suit. He definitely had no intention of this coming here tonight, she was absolutely wonton, and he loved it.

She could feel his breath evening out and growing heavy, he was on the verge of sleep. This felt right, not even a second thought on what this meant for them.

"Mulder..." She whispered, placing a small kiss to his bare chest before glancing up to look at him. His eyes were closed, a contented expression on his face.

"Hmm..." His only response to let her know that he was still coherent.

"I love you, too." His eyes remained closed, but she saw the smile appear on his face before she cuddled back into his side, both of them drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Mulder roused before Scully, momentarily startling at his surroundings. He sighed, remembering the events that transpired the night before. How could he ever forget?

He extracted himself from the bed carefully, making sure not to wake her just yet. She woke to the smell of coffee, a new smile on her face.

"And here I thought the wooing would stop after you completed your task." She teased as she appeared in the kitchen. He was reading the paper, drinking coffee at her table. There was fresh fruit and pastries laid out on a plate in the middle.

"The charm never stops, Scully. It's one of my greatest attributes." He flashed her that boyish grin that made her go crazy. "Good morning."

She walked over to grab her own cup of coffee, stopping to stand between his legs, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on his lips. "Good morning, Mulder."

"How are you feeling today?"

"Never better." She attempted to suppress the smirk, hiding it behind a bite of fruit.

They enjoyed a simple week and weekend together, exploring more of what they first experienced as she regained her energy to full capacity. He was falling more in love with her by every touch and kiss.

When the following Monday rolled around, they had made their way to Scott's office together before heading into work. He could instantly see the visible shift in their relationship, knowing already that the task had been completed.

"Morning! I see you've brought your proof of completion with you today. It's always nice to see you, Dana." Mulder frowned slightly at the use of her first name. He was jealous, that was just a natural instinct for him, especially when it came to her. She could sense him stiffen beside her, grasping onto his hand for reassurance.

"It's nice to see you, too, Scott." She smiled pleasantly, glancing at Mulder to continue why they were here.

"I - uh, the last task was finished." He managed to get out, smiling sheepishly. She found it absolutely adorable, the color rising to her cheeks as well.

Scott flashed them both an amused grin, glancing between them, knowing something more had definitely happened. He nodded, escaping to his office to retrieve the next card. When he handed it to Mulder, Scully instantly eyed it, more curious about the next task than him.

He chuckled and shook his head, handing the card to her to read. He knew the suspense would kill her. They got as far as the door of the office before she nudged his arm with her own. He gave her a puzzled look as she handed him the open envelope with the card sticking out just enough to read. She had a mischievous smirk on her face, that gleam in her eyes again.

'Love her, both intimately and spiritually. Take that next step, show her how much you love her.'

He huffed out a silent chuckle, meeting her eyes again. Her eyebrow was raised suggestively, biting her lip as the color rose to her cheeks again.

"Uh, Scott..." Mulder began, clearing his throat. He turned to face him again, suddenly becoming shy in the moment. "This one's already been completed, too."


	8. The Leap

Silence.

That was the only thing heard during their car ride to work. Logically, it would be the next step in this kind of blossoming relationship, but the reality of it hit them both like a truck. It's not that they didn't want that, they just felt like everything was happening so fast. One word, to leave these two emotionally handicapped people completely dumbfounded.

'Propose.'

That was all it said. Scully was anxious to read the card, Mulder knowing it was a bigger task than any, considering this one was wrapped in a letter. He had to nearly lead her to the car, she was in complete shock over the seven letters staring back at her. She left the letter for him to read, knowing it was more personal than the task.

"Scully…" He broke the silence when he parked the car in the garage at work. He wasn't even sure she was still breathing. "There's no time limit on it." He tried to reassure her that he wasn't going to do anything past her comfort level. He was in just as much shock as her, but one of them had to maintain composure. Besides, it's not like he hadn't thought about it already.

"I know." It was all she had managed to say in the 30 minutes since they received the card and made their way to work. He had no idea where her head was at, and that's what terrified him the most.

"I just want you to know that I'm going to take my time with this one, too. I still haven't read the letter, there might be more to it."

"It's pretty apparent what the task is, Mulder."

"I know, but maybe she has, I don't know. Just, let me read the letter, and we can talk about it more later. I can bring dinner to your place tonight?" He didn't want her to escape too far into herself that she created a distance between them. There was some coaxing he had to do with this one to keep her with him, and he was willing to do anything that was necessary.

"Yeah, okay…" Her voice was just a whisper. She didn't know what terrified her more...the fact that she's never even remotely moved in this direction with any of her other relationships, or that it didn't scare her at all to think of spending the rest of her life with Mulder.

He escorted her inside, practically nudging her the entire way to the morgue with his hand placed on the small of her back. She was still in a daze, but once she reached her area of solitude, she switched into Dr. Scully mode. He escaped to the basement, needing some quiet to read the letter alone. Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the paper, smiling at the familiar scrawl. He was puzzled by the key that fell out of the envelope and onto the desk.

 _My Dearest Fox,_

 _I'm sure this task has found you in quite a surprise. Although, if you've made it this far, I'd say the idea has crossed your mind already. I'm sad that I am not there to meet this wonderful woman who has captivated your heart, but I already know she's breathtaking in every way. I want this moment to mean something for the both of you, so plan it out. Take your time with this one, don't rush it simply because I am asking you to do this._

 _Now, here comes the real purpose of my letter. I ask that you keep a part of me continued into your life together. When you're ready, take this key to a safe deposit box at the bank near the house on Martha's Vineyard. When you see what's inside, you'll know my final wish for you._

 _With all my love,_

 _Rosie_

He slumped into his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. Running his hand through his hair, he was completely perplexed. He knew Rosie was a romantic, but this, this was something he wasn't necessarily ready to just jump into. It's not that he didn't want to marry Scully, he just wanted to make sure she wanted it just as much as he did. He didn't doubt her feelings for him, but her reaction to the card made cause for some hesitation on his part. Her rejection was the thing he feared the most.

"That good, huh?" The small voice came from the door. He startled, coming back to his surroundings. He was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear her approach the office. He gave her a sheepish smile, gesturing for her to have a seat.

"Did you have a question about your case?"

"Oh, um, no. I - I just wanted to come down here, and tell you I'm sorry. How I acted this morning, it's not -" She was stammering. She still didn't have the words, but she needed him to know that it was her own reservations holding her back, it didn't have to do with him. "Mulder, I'll admit, I've pictured myself waking up to you every morning since we've...moved in that direction, and I like it. I think that's what scares me more than anything, that I'm not hesitant or scared at all."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"I just don't know how to handle it yet."

"Scully, I would never rush this, I already told you that."

"I know, and I trust you." She finally met his eyes, so he could read the truth in hers. "So what was in the letter?" She asked nonchalantly. He smiled, knowing it was killing her.

"I don't entirely know yet. I have to go back to Martha's Vineyard soon, I'll probably make a weekend out of it."

"Oh, just you?" He didn't know how she did it, but somehow her eyes grew wider, enchanting him even more. She looked so innocent, he would never deny her accompanying him.

"I need to pick something up, but I suppose you could come with me, if you wanted to." He left the option up to her, if she wanted to join him, she needed to make some small step.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of whatever you need to do…"

"You wouldn't. It's really going to take me no time at all."

"Oh, okay." She was trying to get the full invitation from him. Both stubborn, wanting the other to admit that they wanted to spend the weekend together. He finally let out a heavy sigh as he watched her fidget with her hands.

"Scully, I would love it if you would accompany me for a weekend in Martha's Vineyard."

The edges of her mouth began to curl upwards as she pursed her lips to suppress the smirk forming. She met his eyes again, a gleam shining through hers.

"Well, if you insist." She teased, accepting his invitation. As she got up to leave, he jumped up from his chair, taking long strides to beat her to the door. He closed it with one hand, wrapping his other arm around her and pinning her body against the wall with his own. Her eyes grew wide at the sudden move, eyebrow arching challengingly. He leaned in, hovering above her lips.

"We're at work, Agent Mulder."

"Mhm, great investigative skills, Agent Scully." He planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"We both should be getting back to work." Her voice was just a whisper as he leaned in closer to her, closing any gap that dared come between them.

"You're probably right." He kissed the tip of her nose, he could feel her breath tickling his throat.

"I ran out of excuses." Her lips grazed his chin as she tilted her face up to meet his. He smiled, leaning down to capture her mouth with his own. It was his way of telling her that he was making her a promise, that he was going to do this right. She melted into his embrace, a small whimper escaping her lips. He broke away from her slowly, resting his forehead on hers.

"I promise you, I'm going to do this right." She nodded against him, placing a chaste parting kiss on his lips. He exhaled deeply as she walked out of the office, his back facing the door. This was a bigger task than even he was truly ready for.

"Oh, and Mulder…" She poked her head back in, catching him by surprise yet again. "Don't forget dinner." There was a gleam in her eye, one that he was sure was shocked out of her earlier that morning. He smiled to himself, knowing this wasn't a total disaster.

That evening he showed up to her apartment, dinner in tow. When she greeted him at the door, there was a nervous energy around her. Their relationship had taken a giant leap, now talking about a proposal. She knew their physical relations were definitely not the issue, they had become more than well acquainted with each other in the past week since their first time.

"How's the new case going?" He asked as they picked at their food. They both hated this, thinking their relationship was going to be able to progress at their own pace.

"It's going to keep me busy, it's a big case connected to a few others in New York."

"Well, they have the best team for the job." He gave her a tight-lipped smile, this was going to drive her insane.

"Mulder, I think we need to talk." He froze, fork pausing as he stabbed a piece of chicken. This was it, the moment she was going to tell him that she was out, she can't continue his tasks with him. He let out a shaky sigh, nodding, urging her to continue.

"Yeah, okay."

"I just think...now that we know what's on this card, we should talk about what we're going to do next."

"Scully, we don't -"

"We do need to talk about it. It's a big step, Mulder. I've been thinking a lot about it."

"Yeah, me, too."

"Oh, what have you thought about it?"

"I don't want to rush anything, and I don't want us to move around this uncomfortably like we have been. It's too much pressure." He began to say, causing her mood to plummet. She heard every emotion escaping his lips with the heavy sigh. His rejection of moving forward wasn't something she could handle, even though she was the one who originally panicked. Her face fell, showing the emotions she tried so desperately to hide.

"No, it's okay, I - I understand." He looked at her puzzled as she dipped her chin, avoiding his eyes. He reached out to lift her chin with the lightest nudge of his fingers.

"I don't think you do…" He leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I want to date you, properly. I want us to move in that direction together, so it's not a complete shock when I do ask you. I just didn't know where your head was at." He smiled sheepishly at her.

"Oh, Mulder...I'm sorry. I know my behavior earlier probably didn't help." She rested her forehead against his, relieved. "I was going to somewhat recommend the same thing. Ask if you, uh, wanted to stay the night...tonight." Color was tinging her cheeks, a coy smile forming on her lips.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." He kissed her again, sealing their shared sentiments, reassuring each other that they weren't backing down from this.

"So was that all the letter said?" She asked as they settled on the couch.

"Yeah, just that I have to get something from her safe deposit box. I'll know what she wants me to do more when I see it."

"I'm almost sad that I never got the chance to know her."

"She said the same thing about you." He grinned, knowing they would have been the best of friends. "I - uh, was going to try to visit my mom when I go back…" He began to say, feeling her stiffen underneath is embrace.

"Oh, okay."

"I would love if you would come with me, but I wouldn't want to pressure you. She's...different than I'm sure you're used to."

"No, I think it would be good to meet her. I mean, if we're going to - if we -"

"I agree." He grinned at her, amused at how flustered she became when talking about what they would become. He knew such discussions were out of her comfort zone, but she was pushing herself there, for him.

At some point, they had made it to her bedroom, clothes strewn throughout her apartment. He gathered her small, naked form to his body, holding her close, never wanting to let go. She was completely content, learning every little thing about him mentally and physically. This was her favorite part of their relationship, that they were so open with each other.

"Hey Mulder, can I ask you something?" She asked in a whispered voice. Her finger was making lazy circles on his arm.

"Never." He joked, causing her to smile at his playfulness.

"Why didn't you tell me that your middle name is William? When we were in Miami." He froze slightly, forgetting that he skipped that small detail after visiting with Madam Mercier.

"I guess I just didn't want to imply that I was the one she was talking about. I wasn't totally sure how you felt about everything."

"I - I'm not always good about talking about how I feel, I'm sorry if you ever doubted that."

"It's okay, I think I was figuring it all out, too." He leaned down and pecked her lips, the simplest gesture now between them. "We got here eventually."

"Yeah, maybe Rosie knew what she was doing after all." She teased. He chuckled, nodding in resignation to her statement. He knew there was always a purpose behind Rosie's actions, usually nudging him to be the better version of himself. He wasn't a religious man, but perhaps a prayer to thank her wouldn't hurt.

* * *

Their trip to the Vineyard was relaxing, she was excited to be back. The nerves began to settle in her stomach when the time for them to join his mother for dinner approached. He had filled her in somewhat on the lifestyle that she led, and it was known that he wasn't that close with her. It was definitely going to be a different meeting than when he met her mother.

"This is your last chance, Scully. You can still run very far away." He said as he held up two different ties to her. She pointed to the deep green one, it brought out the color in his eyes. It didn't even occur to her that they were already acting like a married couple, with little sentiments and actions here and there. He had spent more time at her apartment in the past few weeks, getting them adjusted to living together. He thought he was out psyching her, but she knew what he was up to, and thought it was absolutely endearing.

"Mulder, I'm actually very interested in meeting your mother. You can't scare me away that easily." She pointed at his chest, him sighing at his final attempt to save her.

"I know, I've tried. There have been plenty of warnings along the way, Scully. Take your outs where you can get them."

"Well, you haven't scared me off yet."

"The night is still young." He leered at her, causing her to chuckle.

They both had their own reservations about dinner. Mulder was worried about how his mother would react to Scully, considering this was the first woman he's ever remotely brought home. Scully knew that a lot was riding on this meeting, considering the direction that her and Mulder knew they were moving. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car, running to the other side to open the door for her. She took his hand, gripping onto it for both of their comfort.

"Mom, it's good to see you." He greeted her as he entered the restaurant.

"Fox, you look good." She greeted, embracing him for a generic hug, nothing too sentimental.

"This is Dana Scully, my -" He paused, not knowing what to call her. Girlfriend seemed too adolescent, and she wasn't technically his fiance just yet. She gave him a challenging look, eyebrow arched in amusement. He mock glared at her, she was enjoying this too much. "My partner."

"It's very lovely to meet you." Teena Mulder offered an extended hand, keeping with casual pleasantries. Scully could feel the judgement by the tight-lipped smile and the cold gaze she was receiving.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm excited to be here for the weekend." She gave her a shy smile. Mulder squeezed her shoulder subtly, reminding her to breathe and relax.

"So, what's new with you?" Teena asked her son, it's the only place she focused her attention.

"Just keeping busy with work. Scully and I have both been part of very extensive cases lately." Any chance he had to include her in the conversation, he made an assertive point to do so.

"I see. You're an agent as well? So you're just his work partner then."

"Well, no. I am an agent, but I'm the lead forensic pathologist. There are several occasions that we work on the same cases together. That's actually how we met." She smiled at him as he sent her a silent apology with his eyes.

"We've been dating for a few months now, well, officially more recently." He said proudly, causing her cheeks to brighten with color. "You heard about Rosie, I'm sure."

"I did. I had thought you'd come back sooner, after her death. I haven't heard what they plan to do with her property. It would sell for a fortune."

"She, uh, left it to me actually." His mom's hand paused on her water glass, her eyes piercing into him.

"You surely didn't accept, did you?"

"I'm the only family she really had. I couldn't just let her things go to the bank."

"She's not your family."

"She was the most sense of family structure that I had growing up." He spat, voice rising with annoyance. Scully placed her hand on his thigh, trying to calm him with her touch. He gave her a defeated look, resting his hand over hers.

"Did you inherit her entire estate?"

"Yes, with conditions that are not important to get into."

"I see. Well, that's a lot of money to inherit. I hope you plan to do good things with it." Teena said disinterestedly. It sparked a new question in Scully's mind as she took in her pristine surroundings. Just how much money was Mulder going to inherit? It's something they've never talked about because he lived a humble lifestyle, even coming from this kind of money, and she dare not ask. She licked her lips nervously, ducking her head, lost in her own thoughts. He could sense the change in her, and immediately wanted to reassure her of whatever doubts were so obviously clouding her mind.

It was a quiet ride back to the house, neither having much to say after their draining lunch. It wasn't until they were inside that he felt the need to break the silence, it was driving him insane.

"Scully, I'm sorry. It unfortunately was just as I expected, but it's not something I would ever wish on you." He held her gently in his arms, her hands resting on his chest.

"No, there's no need to apologize." Her voice was quiet, timid. "I know you had your reservations about today, but I thought you were being overdramatic."

"I think I underrated it to be completely honest." He scoffed. She stretched up to kiss the bottom of his chin, just at the top of his throat, causing a moan to escape his lips. "I don't think I would have made it out of there half as cordially as I did if you weren't there."

"Well, I've always got your back...partner." She emphasized the last word, a wince appearing on his face.

"Girlfriend seemed too, childish. I didn't know what else to call you."

"You could have called me your fiance, but there's no ring on this finger yet." She teased, his eyes widening at the bluntness of her addressing it.

"Does that mean you would say yes?"

"Are you asking?"

"No." She pouted slightly, a shadow of disappointment crossing her face. "Not yet."

"Are you waiting to see what Rosie has in store for you tomorrow?"

"I'm honestly a little scared. She's always one for grand gestures, so don't be surprised when it's plans for a horse drawn carriage or something."

"I - uh, your mother mentioned that you'd be inheriting a substantial amount of money. I never asked, because that just seemed rude. I don't - If we do...you know, I don't expect any of that to be...mine."

"You can ask, if you wanted to. Because if we do - you know, it would be yours, too." He teased, mocking her words. She blushed furiously, bowing her head.

"Exactly how much money are we talking here, Mulder?"

"About 5 million in just inheritance. The house is worth another 4.5 million, easily." Her eyes widened. Her family had lived a comfortable life, modest, but they always had the necessities. As her father moved up in rankings, the houses and rooms grew, not always having to wear hand me downs anymore. Never would she have imagined even coming close to 1 million, let alone 5. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she glanced at Mulder's full blown panic face, causing her to huff out a small laugh.

"That's - Mulder, what the hell would you even do with that kind of money?"

"That would be up to us to decide. Mostly, I was just going to put it away. I don't really live by the lifestyle I grew up in."

"I love that about you."

"Well it's a good thing you're not marrying me for my money, I'd have to reconsider."

"Who says I'm marrying you anyway?" Her eyebrow arched in challenge. This was becoming more fun by the minute. He mostly enjoyed that the marital jokes didn't cause her to go into a complete shock anymore.

The next morning, Mulder decided to head to the bank alone. It was more so he could fully prepare himself for whatever Rosie had in store. He was nervous as they escorted him to the safe deposit boxes, showing him to the one that matched the key he held. He let out a heavy sigh, he should have known. Staring back at him was a small, black, velvet box. There was a letter, which he also should have anticipated. He opened to view the ring, brow furrowing in confusion at the ring that glistened subtly from its holding place. It definitely wasn't the multi-carat ring that she normally flaunted. Puzzled, he plopped in the chair provided for him, opening the letter that came with the gift.

 _My Dearest Fox,_

 _I hope that you have figured out what my hopes are for you with this gift. All I ask, is that if she is truly the one, she wear the ring my dear Robert gave to me. When he passed, I kept this ring to remind me of the love that went behind its purchase. It was special to me, as I hope it will be for you. He did not come from money as I had, and this was all he could afford, which is why I cherished it so. It is simple, and elegant, as I imagine the woman who has captured your heart is._

 _With all my love,_

 _Rosie_

He smiled, knowing now that the ring she normally sported was bought as a placeholder for the real thing. She was right, this one was simple, and elegant, and perfect for Scully. That thought caused his stomach to turn, knowing she would be curious about his adventure to the bank. This just settled in the realization that eventually, he would be proposing to her. The jokes and lightheartedness that she had about the subject recently showed that she was moving towards being ready, but he still didn't want to rush her. This was the single most important decision of his life, not that he ever questioned it.

When he returned to the house, a savory aroma filled his senses. He could hear movement in the kitchen, approaching with the small box momentarily forgotten in his pocket. He peeked his head inside, going unnoticed by her as she pulled a chicken from the oven. He smiled at her appearance, seeing the apron and oven mitts on. Her hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail, the errant strands of small curls framing her neck and temples. He could definitely get used to seeing this every day for the rest of his life.

"You're back sooner than I was expecting you." She flashed him a winning smile, causing him to melt in all the right places. He would ask her to marry him right then and there if he wasn't so terrified for her answer.

"Yeah, it didn't take long. What are you cooking, Scully? It smells amazing."

"Thanks, although I take your compliment lightly, considering your regular diet consists of takeout and leftovers." She scrunched her nose, making him laugh guiltily in response.

"Well I could get used to you cooking for me." He leered at her, stepping into her personal space. She wet her lips nervously, color tingeing her cheeks. He tilted her head up to meet his, leaning down to place a soft, welcoming kiss on her lips. He grinned, loving the effect he had on her with his personal remarks. He could sense her easing into the idea of them being together, man and wife. The look of pure panic wasn't shining through her eyes anymore. It was replaced by trust, curiosity, and if he was hopeful enough, love.

"So, how long are you going to make me wonder what the other part of this task is?" She asked nonchalantly as they sat down to enjoy their meal together. He smiled, wondering how long it would take her to inquire about his mystery task today.

"You'll have to wait until I plan to complete it." He said it casually, moving his food around the plate with his fork. Her chewing paused, fork lingering above her own plate.

"When - uh, when were you planning to complete this task?"

"I actually don't know. I guess when the time is right."

"Oh. Okay."

He suppressed the smirk appearing on his face, she was ready. She wanted it more than she was letting on, and it was crushing her that he didn't just outright ask. There was never a time that she doubted their relationship, just the thought momentarily terrified her. It was a time for realization of where they were moving, together. She regretted her reaction, hoping she didn't cause any doubt in his mind.

They settled themselves into bed later that night, she had a slight pout on her face all evening following their dinner discussion. He wrapped himself around her tiny frame, spooning from behind. She sighed at the contact, nuzzling his face that was buried in her hair. They both could lay like this for the rest of their lives.

"Mulder…"

"Mhm."

"I just - You need to know, that I want this. I know I freaked out before, but -"

"I know, Scully."

"Oh, okay. I - uh, was just clarifying."

Her voice was so small, almost timid, if he didn't know her better. He smiled against her hair, knowing that what he had planned was even more perfect than he originally thought. She would just have to wait a few more days, if she could last that long.


	9. The End

The only sound surrounding them was the slamming of the cabinets, all completely on her part. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching her cautiously. The suppressed smile on his lips was getting harder to hide as he watched her throw her little tantrum.

It had been three weeks since they came back from Martha's Vineyard, three weeks that he still hadn't asked her to marry him. She set everything up perfectly, to give him that moment, the 'right time' he was waiting for. Her family was all in town for her mother's birthday, a big dinner to celebrate. She even bought a new outfit, dressing up more than she normally would for such occasion. The entire evening, Mulder charmed her family, everything going just fine until they all got up to leave, no proposal.

"Thank you so much for letting me join you guys, it's nice to meet most of the Scully clan." He said, flashing them that winning smile she loved so much. It definitely opposed the frown on her face, the stubbornness shining through her pursed lips and arched eyebrow.

"Scully, what's wrong?" He asked, masking the amusement in his voice.

"Nothing. I'm just making coffee." She bit back at him, slamming another cabinet. He smiled, her back still facing him.

"I thought dinner went well, don't you?" She scoffed under her breath, not as well as she had planned in her head.

"Yeah, it was fine."

"At first I thought your brother hated me, but I think that's a natural instinct. That protectiveness."

"Yeah, sure. Were you planning to stay tonight?" She asked pointedly, still not turning to face him. He pulled the ring box out of his jacket, running his fingers over the smooth velvet material.

"If you want me to." He stepped towards her slowly, hiding the box behind his back.

"Do whatever you want, Mulder." She lazily waved her left hand in the air at him as she stirred her coffee aggressively with the other.

He caught her wrist, holding it gently as he fully stepped behind her. She stiffened at first, not expecting the sudden move. He trailed soft kisses from her fingertips, to her palm, to her wrist. She shivered under his touch, momentarily forgetting why she was annoyed. He felt her begin to come to her senses, tugging her arm away gently, before he interlocked their fingers together.

He turned her to face him with only a little force. She was stronger somehow when she was being stubborn. She rested her hip against the counter, keeping her gaze downwards towards their intertwined hands. He smiled, seeing that she was more than committed to this. She wanted this, she is fighting for it. He knew that the anticipation would allow her true feelings to shine through if he waited long enough.

He closed the gap between them more, stepping closer until his head was lingering just above hers. He kissed her forehead, gesturing for her to look up. Their hands were still linked, his right hand hiding behind his back, cradling the small box. She finally glanced up, licking her lips before catching his gaze. His eyes had a twinkle in them that she couldn't decipher, not able to analyze it before his lips enclosed on hers.

As frustrated as she was, she melted into his embrace, reaching up to wrap both arms around his neck. He moaned as her tongue flickered against his bottom lip, teasing, wanting more. He wrapped his left hand around her waist firmly, causing her to notice the other hand missing. This wasn't normally how he held her.

"Whatcha hiding, Mulder?" She asked against his lips.

"Nothing." He feigned innocence, a shrug for the full effect.

She arched her eyebrow, playfully this time, reaching to his side and sliding her hand around his waist. Their size difference was working to his advantage at the moment, since she was practically melded into his body, and still couldn't reach around to where the box was hiding in his other hand. She gave up on her efforts, pouting slightly. He smiled, leaning down to kiss that pout he loved so much.

"Fine, don't tell me." She turned around again, back facing him. He huffed out a small laugh of amusement, pressing himself into her completely.

"You're really cute when you're stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn. I'm just annoyed."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I just thought tonight was - I just thought it would have gone differently."

"Differently how?"

"I don't know, Mulder. I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed. Stay if you'd like." She waved her hand at him again, turning to step away. He didn't let her get far.

"Hey, Scully…" His voice was cautious, suddenly nervous. The change in his tone made her stop in her stride, half-turning her head to glance back at him.

"Yeah?"

"You forgot something."

"What are you talking about, Muld -" She exhaled deeply, irritated with this entire evening and the stupid game he was playing. Her voice cut off as she turned around to see him standing there, cradling the small box in his hand. Her eyes widened, anxiety suddenly rising as the moment she anticipated was actually occurring.

"You forgot something." He repeated. "This." He held the box out gently to her, it resting in his palm. She licked her lips nervously, fidgeting with her hands.

"And, uh, what's that?" He smiled, stepping towards her, approaching slowly. He stopped as he was standing just before her, causing her to look up. There was a gleam in his eye, a promise behind his actions.

"A proposal."

"Have you been planning this all night?" That eyebrow was arched again, he could tell she was catching on.

"Maybe, how am I doing?"

"So, you intentionally didn't ask me at dinner, to get me - get me worked up over it. Thinking this was never going to happen." She scoffed, his demeanor changing. Maybe this wasn't his smartest plan.

"Yeah, but Scully -"

"I don't know whether to slap you, or kiss you." She said, stepping forward and cradling his face in her hands. He relaxed under her touch, resting his forehead against hers.

"You could start by saying yes."

"I don't remember there being a question." He huffed out a small laugh, she was stubborn, but she was right. He nodded against her, kissing her chastely on the lips.

"Dana Scully, will you marry me?" Her eyes began to brim with tears, the smile appearing on her lips. She nodded, reaching up to capture his lips.

"Yes." She whispered against his mouth, choking back the sob in her throat. He deepened their embrace, holding her close to him. "Do I get to see what's in the box?"

"I guess that does come with the proposal." He chuckled, opening it slowly. She was almost nervous that it was going to be some extravagant ring, given what she's learned about Rosie. She was relieved and touched to see the simple, yet elegant ring sparkling back at her. It truly was perfect.

"So was this what was in the safe deposit box?" She asked as she lay on his chest, their bare skin melded together.

"Yeah, I'm actually a little surprised at how modest it is."

"No, it's perfect. How did you know it would fit?" There was a long pause, causing her to lift her head enough to catch the guilty smile bestowed on his face.

"Your mother may have helped with that…"

"She knew? For how long?!" She scoffed at the thought. Just last weekend she was droning on about how she thought he may never ask her. No wonder her mother sat there quieter than usual. She should have known there was a conspiracy brewing at dinner when they were whispering off to the side. She lost hope when he didn't ask her in front of everyone.

"When did we get back from the Vineyard?"

"I'm going to kill her. I can't believe she knew and didn't tell me." Scully groaned into his chest, feeling the ripple of his chuckle.

"Your mother is a good ally, never underestimate her skills."

"I'm sure she was more than excited about the idea."

"She was, I'm honestly impressed she was able to keep it a secret for so long."

"Oh, I guarantee you everyone in my family knows...well, except me." She mock glared at him.

"It was kind of cute how angry you got though."

"Mulder, I was about 2 seconds from shooting that smug grin right off your face. I honestly thought you were never going to ask me, or - or changed your mind or something." He laughed at the absurdity of her thoughts, flipping them so he was lying fully on top of her.

"I was never going to change my mind, I guess I just needed to know that this is what you really wanted. Through all of this, I've never wanted you to feel forced into anything."

"Oh, Mulder. I know I'm not always good about saying it, but I do love you. I'm here because I want to be." She reached up to run her fingers through his hair gently, seeing the truth in his eyes. He leaned down to kiss her, sealing the sentiments of their newly growing relationship.

The rest of the weekend passed, another Monday rolling around for them to stop by Scott's office. Both of them had blissful smiles on their faces as they entered, the apparent shift between them. It didn't take much to know they completed this task, too.

"Well, since you're here, I'm assuming congratulations are in order." He smiled at both of them, seeing the blush tinge her cheeks.

"Thank you. We - uh, it was just this weekend." Mulder grinned, still not believing she was entering this willingly.

"Well, I see that everything is in order." Scott said as he glanced at her left hand, seeing the ring that was requested to finish this task. He escaped to his office, coming back with a larger envelope than either of them had seen before. Mulder gave him a puzzled look, causing Scott to grin.

"Do I even want to know?" He groaned, Scully's interested only piqued.

"Ah, come on, you should have known that Rosie was going out with a bang. This is her final task." He said as he handed the envelope to him. "It's for both of you."

"Well, I would hope so, I kind of already proposed, so that could make things really awkward if I had to marry someone else." Mulder teased as Scully swatted his arm, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Thank you, Scott. It was nice to see you again." She said, ushering Mulder out the door.

"It's always a pleasure, Dana. Congrats again." He smiled at them, already acting like a married couple.

They made their way to work together, several people asking Dr. Scully about the shiny new piece of jewelry on her finger. She confirmed that she was indeed engaged, but left the details to their imagination. They were working separate cases, and she was buried down in the morgue for most of her day. He finally mosied his way down there, it taking longer than she expected.

"Hey, how are things going?" He asked as she had her arms elbow deep inside a body.

"Keeping busy." She grunted as she lifted the organs from the corpse.

"I see that. Are you trying to seduce me?" She laughed, chucking the organs on the scale.

"Is it working?" She asked, glancing at him through her glasses. He loved watching her in work mode.

"Oh, definitely." He stepped up behind her, resting his hands on her waist.

"Mulder, we're at work. Someone could come in here at any moment." She squirmed away from his touch.

"Scully, when's the last time anyone even stepped foot on this floor other than you and me?"

"That's not the point. Work is off limits."

"Well then what's the point of being engaged?" He pouted. She rolled her eyes at him, working her way to the other side of the table.

"You really need to work on your sweet talking."

"If work is off limits, then have a late lunch with me. I can tell you haven't eaten."

"How do you know that?" She asked with a heavy sigh. He didn't dare say it was because she's irritable and testier than usual.

"You - uh, you've just been busy. Come on, the body will still be cold when you get back...at least I hope." He teased, causing a laugh to escape her lips.

"Let me change, I'll be right back." She nodded, passing him to the changing room. She paused, turning quickly to peck him on the lips before disappearing into the small room. He loved her more every day.

It took them the first red light they hit before he leaned over and captured her lips with his own. She laughed against his mouth, cradling his face with her hands. His physical eagerness was something she always admired, and definitely never objected to.

They agreed to bring the envelope to lunch, opening it together to see their final task. They suspected it was about marriage, foreseeing the direction all the other cards were leading them to. Both were anxious to see the details, considering this one was definitely larger than the others.

"You ready?" He asked, exhaling deeply as he popped open the clasp to dump the contents on the table. Two smaller envelopes fell out onto the table, as well as a final numbered one, and a stack of papers. They both looked at the materials, puzzled by what everything was.

"Maybe we should start with the numbered one." She said in a small voice. He read it first, smiling as his eyes followed the words. He handed it to her, knowing it would make her smile as well.

 _Dearest Fox,_

 _You've made it this far, which can only mean that she is just as special as I would have hoped for you. It could also mean that you've paid Scott half the money to cut the rules, but I have faith in you. I want all the best for you and your bride, as I'm sure you've suspected is your final task. The inheritance will be yours the moment you say 'I do.' There are two letters, one for you and one for your future wife. You are to only read these on the morning of your wedding._

 _There are several places that mean the world to me, any of which you may decide to marry. You must decide together, though remember, she is always right._

 _I wish the best to both of you, and that your life is filled with nothing but love._

 _With all my best wishes,_

 _Rosie_

"She's a smart woman." She smiled, laughing at the small jokes within the words.

"Yeah, if I would have known I could have just paid off Scott, it would have saved me so much time." He teased, causing her to take a fry off his plate and throw it at him. He laughed, reaching across the table to grasp onto her hand.

"Remember, I'm always right." She mock glared at him, linking their fingers together.

"Did I mention she was slightly crazy? I'm really starting to question that more now."

"Do you recognize any of these places?" She was already sifting through the pictures, eyes widening at the extravagant and beautiful places staring back at her.

"Some. She'd traveled a lot in her lifetime, always chasing the next adventure. One year, she just packed up and had me drop her off at the airport. She picked the first flight out, and stayed there for a month."

"Where'd she end up?" Scully huffed out a small laugh.

"Mexico. She loved it there, I thought she may never come back."

"Mulder, these places are gorgeous. I don't even know where to start."

"Well, it looks like there are 4 properties she's laid out for us, all relatively local. Maybe we can visit one every weekend, see what feels right." He said with a small shrug. All of the locations that Rosie had chosen were modest, intimate, and absolutely perfect for both their simple tastes.

"That...actually sounds like the perfect plan."

"You sound surprised, I feel like I should be offended."

"I'm not going to lie, I'm impressed."

"Well I've got plenty more where that came from, Scully. Just you wait and see."

"Really?" Her eyebrow arched challengingly.

"Maybe, but don't hold me to it." She laughed, loving him even more.

As they made their way back to work, they had some time to spare, sitting in the car before making finally entering the building. They were both anxious to read the cards addressed to them, knowing they weren't allowed to open them just yet. It was killing her to have it and not be able to read it.

"I'm going to take these." He plucked it out of her hand, causing her to pout.

"That's not fair, you get to have yours, but I can't have mine?"

"No, I'm going to lock them away until we are allowed to read them."

"When - uh, when were you thinking we should -" She licked her lips, the topic of conversation suddenly making her nervous.

"There's no rush, Scully. We can take the next month to look at the places and decide where we want to even have it. Then we can go from there." He suggested, trying to ease the apparent nerves washing over her.

"Okay, yeah." She managed, nodding in agreement. They were really doing this.

That weekend they made their first trip to a Virginia Beach house. The keys were picked up at Scott's office, with their accommodations for their stay. The surprise came when he told them they'd be staying in the house, and provided no more details. When they pulled up to the secluded area, Scully's breath hitched at the rustic beauty of the old house. It was modest, compared to Rosie's other establishments she's experienced, but it was breathtaking. He parked in the long driveway, escorting her inside with they keys they were provided.

"Mulder, this place is incredible." Her eyes were absorbing the homey decorations, a warm feeling flushing through her. They both explored the house, Scully finding her way to the outside balcony that overlooked the ocean. Saltwater mist washed over her, leaving her in a moment of complete ecstasy. The house sat on its own section of the beach, away from any other travelers.

"Let me guess, this is your favorite part?" He asked, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled, turning to nuzzle her head just under his chin.

"It's stunning. You didn't know about this place?"

"She used to take long weekends to visit 'her beach,' but I just assumed she had a favorite section or specific place. I didn't know she meant here."

"Well, she does have excellent taste."

"Come on, let's go take a walk on the beach." He offered her his hand, leading her down the stairs off the balcony. They strolled hand in hand, enjoying the weather and the sand under their feet. He loved the blissful look on her face, losing inhibitions as he glanced over to see the wind ruffle her hair and the chilled air cause a rosey color to tinge her cheeks. He stopped in his stride, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her close. She huffed out a small laugh, surprised by the move.

"Thank you, for bringing me here. I think looking at all these places first was a perfect idea." She smiled, running her fingers through the errant strands of hair on the back of his neck.

"Scully, I'd marry you right here, right now. Where we get married is up to you." He said as he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

She thought about it, actually let the thought of marrying him right now, today, run through her mind. Images of their journey here flashed through her mind as she gazed into his eyes. She could see the truth staring back at her, their truth. Everything between them moved rapidly, but something's never felt more right in her heart. Though a forced happening on Rosie's part, it was the best thing to ever come barreling into her life. She nodded slightly, her lower lip moistened by her tongue.

"Okay." He stiffened for a moment, a puzzling expression clouding his face.

"Okay?"

"Let's get married, here. Now." Her voice was just a whisper, unsure of her words.

"Scully, I didn't mean -"

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have -" She began to step away from him, embarrassed that she took his words for face value.

"Wait, just wait. That's not what I was implying."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"But I meant what I said. I would marry you, anywhere, anytime."

"Mulder, it's okay. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. Let's just head back to the house." She sighed, walking ahead of him on the beach. A million thoughts and ideas running through his mind. He finally caught up with her, seeing the tears daring to escape her eyes.

"Scully…"

"I think I'm going to lay down for a bit." She said quickly, escaping to the master bedroom. She was detaching herself because she felt idiotic, and embarrassed. He had to put his thoughts into actions quickly.

When she roused a short while later, she blinked several times before accepting what she was seeing. There was a rose, settled neatly on the letter for her from Rosie. There was also a separate note in Mulder's familiar scrawl.

'Please consider putting on a dress and joining me for dinner. Reservations are at 7, be ready by 5. We have a quick stop before. Read her letter.

Love,

M'

She smiled, only he could make her feel at ease when she was doubting herself. She furrowed her brow, picking up the letter designated for her. They weren't supposed to read them until their wedding day, another thought popping in her head as her eyes widened in realization. Her hands became shaky as she pulled the paper free from the envelope.

 _My Dear Child,_

 _I do not know you, as you do not know me, but I know that you are special. You have captured the heart and soul of my dear Fox, whom I cared for as my own. I'm sure you are quite puzzled by this letter, though if you've been along for the ride, I should hope he's shared everything with you. If he has not, as he is rather emotionally subdued, then I shall share with you my wishes. My tasks for him were simply a push in what I am hoping is the right direction for both of you._

 _This is my final ask, and then I will be but a memory, a loved one, I am hoping._

 _As you should be reading this on your wedding day, I want you to know in your heart that this is right. When you envision yourself the happiest you've ever been, if it is not with my sweet Fox, then I ask you to step away. It is nothing personal, it is that I am protective of him and only wish him the best. If it is him that you love with your entire self, I ask that you share something with him that you've never shared with anyone before. A secret that would make anyone else change the way they see you. Do this before your vows, as they should be made with unconditional love._

 _I am sorry I am not there to join in on this celebration, but please carry me in your hearts._

 _With all my love,_

 _Rosie_

Scully wiped the tears away from her cheeks, choking back a sob. It was like reading a love letter written just for her. She always was a sucker for those romantic comedies. She took a deep breath, knowing exactly what she hadn't shared with Mulder. Not even her family really knew what happened, they just saw her fall apart and move away. She always ran, but hoped this time she wouldn't have to. She let out a deep sigh, getting ready for their final adventure.

When she made her way downstairs, Mulder was waiting nervously for her on the couch, hands folded in his lap.

He had read his letter from Rosie, the contents similar to Scully's. He knew this was right, but telling her his deepest secret was something he hoped would never come up. His sister's disappearance was something widely known, though his experience that evening was only ever shared through regression therapy.

"Hey." She said in a small voice, smile touching her lips. His head shot up to see her, words escaping as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a fitted, deep blue dress that made her eyes glow. She was beautiful, and every doubt he had vanished at the sight of her.

"Hey, uh, looks like you got my note." He smiled, standing anxiously before her.

"I did, as well as Rosie's."

"What did - uh, what did yours say?"

"I imagine something similar to yours. Should we head out?" She asked, grabbing her shawl and gesturing towards the door. He nodded, still at a loss for words. All afternoon he called around, asking the local courthouses to stay open later. Turns out one of them knew Rosie quite well, willing to grant his pleading wishes.

He parked in front of the large building, both of them sitting in silence. She licked her lips nervously, fiddling with her thumbs.

"So…" He began to say, causing her to chuckle. "I'm guessing you caught on to my plan of action for tonight."

"I'd like to think so, yes."

"I'm supposed to tell you something that would normally make people go running for the hills, I guess to ensure that you still want to marry me."

"Well, I've lasted this long." She teased, his slight smile fading.

"Scully…" He began. She held her breath, not knowing what his secret could possibly be. "I've told you about my sister's disappearance, but I never told you the details."

"You said you didn't remember."

"I don't, well, I didn't. I don't know. I went to regression therapy, to see if I could trigger any memories of that evening. What I think I remember gets hazy sometimes, but seems so vivid. She was floating in the air, Scully, a light dragging her out the window. I couldn't do anything, I was frozen. I felt like a failure after that, like I had failed her." The tears began brimming his eyes, she reached out to grasp onto his hand. His grip tightened on her, she wasn't running, yet. "Based on the research I've done, and some of the other case files in the basement, I truly believe she was abducted...by extraterrestrials." Her breath hitched, this secret was definitely a doozy. "You can go running now."

"I believe...that's what you believe happened that night. I would never doubt you on that." She said softly, intertwining their fingers together. He glanced up to meet her eyes, knowing the promise behind her gaze. He leaned forward, capturing her lips forcefully. They were both reaching for each other frantically, feeling closer than ever before.

"I love you."

"I haven't told you my secret yet."

"I don't care what it is, I still love you." He deepened the kiss, causing her to chuckle against his lips. Her smile faded as she pulled away slightly.

"It's my turn."

"Nothing will change how I feel about you."

"I'm not so sure." She said carefully, taking a deep breath. "When I was in med school, one of my mentors took an extra liking to me. He was brilliant, and nationally known for his work, and that was exhilarating. To have that kind of attention was, I don't even have words for it. There was only one problem...he was married, and significantly older than me. I think I knew deep down that it wasn't long term, but I was so caught up in the moment that I lost a sense of reality. The affair continued, and I didn't know who I was anymore. I was scared for how deeply he said he loved me, I ran. That's how I ended up here in the first place. It was a weak moment of adolescence, and I'm not proud of it."

"Did you love him?" His voice was calm, and that unnerved her more than anything.

"I thought I did at one point. When I tried to imagine myself living with him for the rest of my life, I couldn't."

"I would never judge you for your past, Scully." His voice was genuine, eyes sincere. He cradled her face, his thumbs running over her cheeks, wiping away the tears. He leaned in to kiss her, passionately this time, a promise behind their embrace. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mulder."

"Come on, this is our first stop." He flashed her that mischievous grin she loved. She smiled at him, holding his hand as they stepped across that threshold together.

* * *

"We're married, Mulder." She said, her naked form curled up against him, admiring her ring.

"I know, I still can't believe you agreed to this."

"You've been saying that since we started these tasks."

"I don't know if I'll ever believe it." He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent.

"My mother's going to kill me for eloping."

"We can throw a celebration of sorts when we get back. Plan it out, repeat the vows. You can wear a giant white dress, and we can have a really bad wedding singer." He said excitedly, causing her to laugh wholeheartedly. "Chicken or fish, Scully?"

"Neither, we can keep it simple. Just family, a few close friends."

"I believe there's also supposed to be a honeymoon somewhere in there."

"What, no extravagant plans from Rosie for that?"

"No, she left me hanging on that one. I'm actually a little hurt." He feigned a pout, causing her to reach up and kiss his lower lip.

"Well then we can plan that together, too."

"I'm actually surprised this was the final task for us. It almost settles in that she's officially gone."

"Do you think she has more tricks up her sleeve?"

"I almost don't want to find out." He groaned, knowing that it was a valid question. This was too simple for her final wish. She was always one for the theatrical surprises.

They spent their weekend together, married and enjoying the quiet solitude of their own little beach. Neither wanted to leave, procrastinating as long as they could before they needed to drive back.

There was an awkward moment when he pulled up to her apartment, considering they didn't live together, and it was something that had managed to go undiscussed over the course of the weekend. There wasn't much talking done since they got home from dinner the night of their marriage.

"Do you, uh, want to stay? It's late."

"I have an extra suit in the car, I can just wear that for work tomorrow." He nodded, agreeing since he couldn't imagine sleeping in an empty bed now, without his wife. He chuckled to himself, she was his wife now.

They laid curled up as they had become accustomed to, with her cuddled into his side. The unanswered question was surrounding them, floating heavily in the air.

"Hey Mulder…"

"Mmm?"

"I was wondering, if you wanted to stay a little more - uh, permanently." He smiled, eyes closed as he was nearly drifting off to sleep.

"I don't know, Scully."

"What, why?" She shot up from her warm spot, furrowing her brow at him. He didn't need to open his eyes to know the look he was receiving from her.

"Because I was planning to buy us a house, maybe with a big yard, and a large office."

"Jesus, Mulder. You scared me, don't do that." She swatted at his chest, burying her head against his bare skin, feeling the ripple of his laugh surge through his chest.

"I couldn't resist."

"I want my own office."

"Okay."

"And maybe a large kitchen."

"Okay."

"And -"

"And we can start looking at places this week. There's obviously no budget."

"Oh, right. Are we stopping into Scott's office before work tomorrow?"

"I was planning on it."

"How does - uh, how does the inheritance part work?"

"Well, as he explained to me before, once everything's completed, I'll get a very substantial amount of money in the form of a check. The house will be transferred to my name, as well as her assets."

"Are you ready for that?"

"Are you?" He asked, nudging her arm. The thought that this was all now hers was still something she needed to wrap her head around. She nodded wordlessly, cuddling into his side tighter, leaving no gap between them.

The next morning, she was slightly more frantic than usual during her morning routine. He watched her like she was an animal, careful not to poke the bear. There was something different about her since she left the bathroom earlier that morning, but he couldn't decipher what it was. He chalked it up to nerves about them completing the tasks, he felt them, too.

"Scully, are you almost ready, we still need to -"

"I'll be done in a minute, Mulder." She bit back at him. He wanted to laugh, this was the wedding bliss everyone spoke so fondly of. He poured them cups of coffee to go, making hers just as she always had it. "Okay, let's go."

"Here, coffee. We can get breakfast on our way to work."

"No, it's okay, I don't feel that great."

"Do you want to skip the office visit? Maybe you should just stay home and rest today."

"I'm fine, Mulder. Let's just go."

It was a quiet ride to Scott's office, considering he was trying to live long enough to make it there. It seemed like anything he said was setting her off today. He had hoped the coffee would make her a little more human this morning, but she hadn't touched it since they got in the car. He was almost sure he made it right, but she only took the smallest of sips, and left it untouched.

"Well good morning, please don't tell me this task has already been finished." Scott greeted, genuinely surprised to see them there. He could see that she was annoyed, and he was fearful for his life. He hoped they hadn't made it this far to turn everything down.

"We - uh, eloped over the weekend." Mulder said with a small smile.

"Excuse me for a moment." Scully said quickly, making her way to the bathroom.

"That wedding bliss, huh?" Scott teased, a scoff escaping Mulder's lips.

"So what happens now?"

"Well, you completed the task, so the inheritance is yours. I'll have our office draw up the paperwork and issue the check, but there is something else."

"I should have expected that."

"It's not what you may think. Just more, surprises, from the old broad."

"These last few months have been pretty damn surprising already." Mulder mumbled, wincing at what was potentially waiting for him.

"The places that she wanted you to get married at, are all her properties as well."

"Wait, all those houses are her properties?"

"Yes, which means they come with your inheritance."

"Seriously?" Scully chimed in, coming back from the bathroom and catching the tail end of their conversation.

"Yes, she also left you a final letter. Let me get that for you." Scott escaped to his office, leaving them alone in the large conference room.

"It's not too late to run, Scully."

"I may be the only one to panic and run from a substantial amount of money." She scoffed. He leaned in to kiss her lips, her melting into his touch.

"That's what I love about you."

"I'm sorry I've been so on edge this morning, I think my nerves got the best of me."

"It's okay, this is a lot to handle, I know."

"There's, uh, something else we should talk about later, too."

"What is it, Scully?"

"Mulder, I -" She began to say, wanting to calm his fears that she could see shining through his eyes. She wasn't handling this well.

"Alright, everything looks in order. Here's a final letter addressed to both of you, as well as the breakdown of the inheritance. I'll give you a moment to sign everything over to your name." Scott began to explain, both of them sitting there lost in their own thoughts. "There's a spot for you to add Dana's name if you choose, let me know when you're done." He excused himself to his office, leaving them alone.

"Maybe we should read the letter first." Mulder suggested, seeing the worry in her eyes.

"Yeah, okay."

He opened it, setting the paper between them to read together. She exhaled deeply, letting her curiosity take over. She smiled, seeing Rosie's signature at the bottom.

 _Newlyweds,_

 _I hope you are reading this after spending some much needed time together. New relationships are precious, and fragile, and I hope that you take the time to cater to yours. I did not leave a request for your honeymoon, as by now you should be able to make that decision on your own._

 _There is one final surprise. Upon the birth of your first child together, there's another half of the inheritance that will be yours._

 _Have fun, cherish each other, and I wish you the best._

 _Forever with all my love,_

 _Rosie_

They both smiled, relaxing around her words. A thought popped into Scully's head, brow furrowing in confusion. "There's more money?"

"I guess, though I'm not surprised. The amount seemed off, based on what I knew about her family money. I didn't know about the properties though."

"So, there's no more tasks, just another part of the inheritance when we - uh, when -" She stammered. This was a topic they managed to avoid, leaving it as part of their unspoken discussions. He could sense her nervousness about the subject, reaching for her hand in a comforting gesture.

"I know we've never talked about it, but it's something I've thought a lot about recently."

"Really?" She asked, a hopeful tone in her voice, searching his eyes for the truth.

"Well yeah, I mean, I've never done all this before but I'm pretty sure that's what comes next in this little routine we've got going." She chuckled, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his.

"Sooner than you may think." She whispered against his lips, causing him to pull back, a different expression in his eyes. He was filled with excitement, and amazed at the concept. She bit her lip, nodding as she answered the unasked question in his eyes.

"How's everything going in here?" Scott asked, entering the room a short while later.

"Great, I think we signed everything." Mulder said as he collected the papers together to hand to him.

"Did you read the letter?"

"We did…" Scully spoke up, smiling coyly at Mulder, color tingeing her cheeks. "And we'll be back in about 8 months to show proof of completion."


End file.
